Selah Theater to Open 10th Season with ‘Mr. Lincoln’

STRUTHERS, Ohio – Selah Dessert Theater will begin its 10th anniversary season with “Mr. Lincoln,” the first show the theater staged.

“Mr. Lincoln,” a one-man play starring Tom O’Donnell as President Abraham Lincoln, will be performed at 8 p.m. Sept. 6 and 7. O’Donnell also performed the role in Selah’s original production in 2014.

Written by Helmut Mitgang, the play focuses on the political events surrounding the Civil War and Lincoln’s political career. But it also delves beneath the surface to provide a glimpse into the man, his struggles, his depression and his family.

Director Mary Ruth Lynn said she is delighted to bring the historical and entertaining piece to the Selah stage once again and to commemorate the theater’s humble beginnings, when actors might run into a wall behind the tiny stage if they tried to walk behind a prop.

Tickets are $19.50 and include reserved seating options and dessert at intermission. To purchase, go to selahdesserttheater.com. The theater is accessible by stairs only. For preshow dinner reservations, go to selahrestaurant.com.

The restaurant and theater are at 130 S. Bridge St.

Led by the three-person creative team of Lynn, Brian Palumbo and Jeffrey Chann, Selah Theater has grown in the past decade. It now has an expanded stage with lighting and technical capabilities that belie its small size. The theater also has a website, a new logo and reserved seating for three-weekend runs.

Selah aims to present well-written plays that are not frequently produced in this area.

“We  provide our audiences with a high quality, intimate theater experience,” Lynn said. “Our limited seating and small venue immerse the audience in each performance.”

The rest of the season will include:

• “The Birthday Party,” by Harold Pinter, Nov. 7-9, 15-16 and 22-23.
• “Searching for Eden: The Diaries of Adam and Eve,” by Jeff Still, Feb. 20-22 and Feb. 28-March 1 and March 7-8.
• “Ripcord,” by David Lindsay-Abaire, May 8-10, 16-17 and 23-24.

All performances start at 8 p.m.

Pictured at top: Tom O’Donnell in the one-man play “Mr. Lincoln” at Selah Dessert Theater.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.