EMC Entertainment - Ottawa Valley's professional summer theatre company, the Classic Theatre Festival, has announced its 2012 summer season, to be held once again at the wheelchair accessible, air conditioned Mason Theatre (13 Victoria St. in Perth). And those who

purchase special holiday vouchers before Dec. 31 can save up to 20 per cent off regular ticket prices while enjoying the freedom to pick actual show dates closer to the performance dates. Each summer, the Festival brings to town some of Canada's top performers on stage, television, film, and radio.

TWO FOR THE SEESAW

The Festival's third season will kick off with William Gibson's landmark "Two for the Seesaw," an unconventional, comedic love story about two lost souls who find one another in the hustle and bustle of late 1950s New York City. Gibson (author of the much-loved Helen Keller story, "The Miracle Worker") picked up a Tony Award for Best Play on Broadway with "Two for the Seesaw," which marked the stage debut of Anne Bancroft and also starred Henry Fonda. In many ways, the show marked a significant moment on Broadway, when the razzle-dazzle of the 1950s gave way to a more mature understanding of human relations that, while vastly entertaining, was not without substance. "Two for the Seesaw" will run July 13 to Aug. 5.

MARY, MARY

The season's second show is the uproarious Jean Kerr comedy "Mary, Mary", the eighth-longest running play in Broadway history. Kerr, who in the early 1960s marked that rarest of people -a successful female Broadway playwrightwas also the author of the best-selling take on raising kids in suburbia, "Please Don't Eat the Daisies." "Mary, Mary" chronicles the comedic tribulations of a recently divorced couple who realize that a second chance might be worth taking. Like "Two for the Seesaw," "Mary, Mary" deals with issues like divorce and the meaning of loving relationships in a funny yet realistic manner, and will appeal to a broad audience. "Mary, Mary" runs Aug. 10 to Sept. 2.

All shows will be staged Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees each Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

We have a growing audience who love the era that we have chosen, the golden age of Broadway and the London Stage, and who keep coming back for more," says the Festival's Artistic Producer, Laurel Smith. "There's something truly special about plays of this era. Our audiences leave the theatre feeling good about themselves, and write to us to tell us of what a great experience they had after seeing these plays. We bring some of Canada's top professional talent to Perth every summer, and we look forward to announcing our 2012 summer cast in the new year."

Tickets for the 2012 season make a great seasonal gift and you can save by buying early! Buy before Jan. 1 and receive a discount of 10 per cent for one play and 20 per cent for purchasing both plays. You do not need to pick your dates now, the voucher can be redeemed next year when your dates are ready to be confirmed.

Order tickets online at www.classictheatre.ca, by calling 1-877-283-1283, or at Tickets Please, 39 Foster St., in Perth.