From left: Forrest Mason as Dexter, Jessica Short as Tracy and Matthew Walsh as Mike form a romantic triangle in "The Philadelphia Story"

High society will clash with the lowbrow press when TheatreUNCA stages "The Philadelphia Story" April 11-15 in UNC Asheville's Carol Belk Theatre. Curtain is 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee. All shows are open to the public.

In "The Philadelphia Story," playwright Philip Barry tells the tale of a society wedding that is crashed by the tabloid press. After divorcing her playboy husband Dexter, Philadelphia heiress Tracy Lord sets out to marry nouveau riche George Kittredge. The wedding is interrupted by Destiny magazine reporter Mike Connor and his girlfriend, Liz Imbrie, who pose as wedding guests to get the inside scoop. Chaos ensues when Tracy discovers the deception, while her ex-husband Dexter tries to stop the wedding at any cost. "The Philadelphia Story" premiered on Broadway in 1939 with Katharine Hepburn in the leading role. It was later made into an Oscar-winning film starring Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart.
           
"The Philadelphia Story" is directed by Scott Walters, UNC Asheville Drama Department associate professor. The cast features UNC Asheville students, including Lindsey Cashion, Skyler Goff, Garth Grimball, Elizabeth Guthrie, Forrest Mason, Ashley Mauney, Caitlin Moseley, Nick Recktenwald, Jessica Short and Matthew Walsh. Charles McKnight, associate professor of music, and Bill Spellman, dean of humanities, round out the cast.
           
For your own inside scoop, check out UNC Asheville's "The Philadelphia Story" blog at www.uncaphiladelphiastory.blogspot.com. The blog details the development of the production from the cast and crew's perspective.
           
Tickets for all performances are $10 general admission, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students. Because of the intimate size of UNC Asheville’s Carol Belk Theatre and the often heavy demand for tickets, advance purchase is strongly advised. Tickets may be ordered by phone by calling 828/232-2291 between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Tickets are also available at the box office two hours before curtain and online at www.unca.edu/drama.
           
For more information, call UNC Asheville’s Drama Department at 828/251-6610.