Photo Flash: First Look at Artists Rep's THE LOST BOY World Premiere

In a culture of fear and exhibitionism, who preys upon whom? The world premiere production of Susan Mach's The Lost Boy will explore the true story of the Charlie Ross kidnapping of 1874 that became a media circus. The play runs now through February 10 and is a part of the Fertile Ground Festival of New Work. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage in the photos below!

In The Lost Boy, 4-year-old boy is snatched and ransomed by down-on-their-luck roustabouts. His mother mourns what she has lost while his father, the police and P.T. Barnum attempt to outsmart the captors using newspaper headlines, trains and death-defying trickery. Meanwhile, Tom Thumb, the Strong Man, a trapeze artist and a Circassian psychic create their own acts at the boy's expense. The play is loosely based on true story and the media frenzy and entertainment spectacle surrounding it. The Lost Boy is a tightrope mystery where a boy's life hangs in the balance amid the self-serving interests of the white collar elite and circus-folk, both vying for the upper hand.

Featuring: Michael Fisher-Welsh, Dana Millican, Doren Elias, Duffy Epstein, Sean Doran, Todd Van Voris, Luisa Sermol, Sam Dinkowitz, ElizaBeth Houghton, Geoff Kanick, Logan Martin, Agatha Olson and Harper Lea.

Susan Mach has an MA in Playwriting from Boston University. Her first play, Monograms, was produced at Theatre for the New City in New York City, the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble in Bloomsburg, PA, Portland Repertory Theatre, and the Icaras Theatre Ensemble in Ithaca, New York. The script, published by Rain City Press in Seattle, also received a Portland Drama Critics Circle Award. Her second play, Angle of View, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award and received readings at Portland Repertory Theatre and Boston Playwrights' Theatre. For her third play, The Shadow Testament, she received a Woman Writers Fellowship from Literary Arts, Inc. This piece has been workshopped by Artists Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle, Boston Playwrights' Theatre, and JAW/West. It was produced by Portland World Theatre as part of the

Fertile Ground Festival. Her play, The Difficult Season, a collaboration with renowned jazz pianist and songwriter Dave Frishberg, was also workshopped at Artists Rep. She was awarded a fellowship from Oregon Literary Arts, as well as the Oregon Book Award for her latest play, The Lost Boy, which was also part of Portland Center Stage's JAW/West development series. Additionally, Sue has received grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Commission, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Oregon Council for the Humanities. She has been teaching literature and composition classes at Clackamas Community College for the past 15 years.

Now celebrating its 30th season, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theater company in Portland. Artists Rep strives to challenge artists and audiences with plays of depth and vibrancy in an intimate setting. Artists Rep explores the strengths, frailties, and diversity of the human condition primarily through regional premieres, commissioned works and selected classics appropriate to contemporary issues.

The Lost Boy, written by Susan Mach and directed by Allen Nause, runs January 8 - February 10, playing Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:00pm; Wednesday matinee at 11:00am on Jan. 30. Opening Night is Friday, January 11. All performances take place at The Artists Repertory Theatre - Morrison Stage (15th and Morrison St.). Tickets: $25-$50. Box Office: 503.241.1278 or www.artistsrep.org.

Photo Credit: Owen Carey