BREAK A LEG

Putin on the ritz: Laughter fills The Rep as Gridiron 2018 spares no one its biting satire

The July 31 opening night of Gridiron 2018 -- Parade of Dunces proved to be a wild ride for the huge crowd of theatergoers who watched as the 72 cast members skewered a who's who of newsmakers including President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and local politicians like Gov. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and U.S. Rep. French Hill.

The 90-minute show -- held at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre -- had the audience in tears laughing at the antics.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Mary Spencer McGowan once again produced the show. Before the curtain went up, cast members shook off last-minute jitters backstage and posed for pictures.

Near the end, Cliff Baker, the founder of The Rep, went onstage and made a passionate plea to save the theater. The Rep announced earlier this year that it was suspending operations because of financial difficulties. Baker told the crowd he is optimistic about The Rep's future.

"The one thing clear to me is that everyone wants to save The Rep," he said.

High Profile on 08/12/2018

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