The result is a unique and thought-provoking look at life in America today. This Beautiful City, produced in conjunction with the 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, was written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis and features songs by Michael Friedman. The production runs through July 6, 2008, in the Metheny Theatre.

Since 2001, the OBIE Award-winning troupe The Civilians has forged their own unique brand of theatre—smart, witty and boldly theatrical snapshots of the American psyche. In the tradition of artists like Moises Kaufman and Anna Deavere Smith, the company spent ten weeks interviewing people in Colorado Springs, the home of several national Evangelical organizations, as well as the New Life megachurch. During their time in the community, New Life founder Ted Haggard was at the center of a major scandal involving prostitution, homosexuality and crystal meth; his story appears in This Beautiful City alongside the stories of Air Force Academy cadets, surrounding church leaders and ordinary citizens. This Beautiful City looks at Colorado Springs as a microcosm of issues facing the country as a whole—the shifting line between church and state, changing ideas about the nature of Christianity, and how different beliefs can either coexist or conflict within a community.

This Beautiful City is the second event in The Studio Theatre's groundbreaking Opening Our Doors initiative. As part of the 30th Anniversary Season, Founding Artistic Director Joy Zinoman is spearheading this exciting initiative: a new direction for The Studio Theatre's popular Special Events Series. Rather than bringing in finished work from the outside, The Studio Theatre is forming artistic partnerships with acclaimed young companies to develop and produce new work of national significance right here in Washington. In April, performance group rainpan 43 kicked off the Opening Our Doors initiative with a three-week festival of their inventive and surprising work. In 2008–2009, the initiative continues, as spoken-word artist Dael Orlandersmith comes to The Studio Theatre to complete development on and premiere her new solo show, Stoop Stories. -- www.studiotheatre.org