The Catskill Chronicle

FORESTBURGH, NY (June 8, 2011) – Shirley Valentine is a one-woman play that runs for one week only, from June 14 – 19 at the Forestburgh Playhouse . Loretta Swit of M*A*S*H fame will reprise her award-winning role in this beautiful story about an underappreciated woman who finds romance and her own worth.

Director Ron Nash said, “Loretta Swit has been such a good friend of Forestburgh Playhouse and we are extremely happy to have her back in Shirley Valentine – a show that, in the past, she has done as a single performance benefit for us. Now we have Loretta for a full week run of this funny and inspiring comedy and I urge anyone who wants to be involved and entertained by the theater to catch Loretta in Shirley Valentine.”

Few actresses can capture the imagination of a generation of television viewers with the certainty and charm of Loretta Swit. As quick-witted, impassioned Major Margaret Houlihan of television’s most honored series, “M*A*S*H,” Ms. Swit became an American icon and with the popular program now in worldwide syndication, new fans continue to enjoy her lavish portrayal of the sensuous, sensitive, comedic Major Houlihan.

There’s more to Loretta Swit than mere prime-time perfection. Honored with such recognition as the People’s Choice Award, The Genie Award, The Silver Satellite Award, The Jean Golden Halo Award and two Emmy Awards, Ms. Swit’s talents are far–reaching and varied. She acts, she dances, she sings—and her career has teamed her with some of the most memorable names in the world of entertainment.

Ms. Swit made her Broadway debut in Same Time Next Year opposite Ted Bessell, and later appeared in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, replacing Cleo Laine. She has toured with national companies of Any Wednesday, and with two companies of Mame, starring as Agnes Gooch alongside two illustrious “Mames”, Susan Hayward and Celeste Holm.

Between innumerable television and cinema appearances, she has appeared in more than 500 performances of Shirley Valentine, a role for which she has won Chicago’s most prestigious theatrical honor, The Sarah Siddons Award. Her television career, aside from “M*A*S*H,” includes more than 25 movies, including the original “Cagney and Lacey,” in which she created the role of Chris Cagney.

Shirley Valentine opens June 14 and plays through June 19. The post-show Cabaret is: Rodgers and Hammerstein: Getting to Know Them.They wrote musicals like Oklahoma! and South Pacific; penned hits such as “My Favorite Things,” “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'”, and “Getting to Know You”; and became the most successful songwriting team in Broadway history. Enjoy this tuneful journey through the world of Rodgers and Hammerstein (running with Shirley Valentine and Biloxi Blues). Tickets are available for Shirley Valentine by calling the box office at 845-794-1194 or going online at www.FBplayhouse.org.