CTAW to present 'Over the River and Through the Woods,' directed by Keli Solomon

WOODBURY, CT — Community Theatre at Woodbury (CTAW) will open its 13th season this fall with Joe DiPietro's warm and hilarious family comedy, Over the River and Through the Woods, directed by Keli Solomon. The production runs October 30 through November 8, 2026 at the historic Woodbury Old Town Hall, 5 Mountain Rd. Woodbury, CT 06798.

Solomon returns to the director's chair at CTAW after most recently directing their production of Paul Elliott's Exit Laughing. An actor/director/producer, and member of the Connecticut Theater Women Network, Solomon's directing credits include: Murder Takes a Holiday & A Christmas Story (Sherman Playhouse), Wait Until Dark (Theatreworks New Milford). She performs regularly in film, television, and commercials and can currently be seen in various national commercials for Cirkul Water Bottles, M&Ms, and most recently, the viral Liquid Death/Garage Beer commercial featuring Jason Kelce.

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"When I first saw this play, several years ago, I connected to it immediately." says Solomon, "I come from a big Italian family and can relate so much to the dynamics at work between the grandparents and their adult grandchild. It is funny, heartwarming, and the perfect play as we head into the holiday season!"

Over the River and Through the Woods follows Nick, a single Italian American man from New Jersey whose weekly Sunday dinners with his four grandparents are a cherished, if sometimes overwhelming, family tradition. When Nick announces that a dream job could take him across the country, his grandparents are determined to remind him of everything, and everyone, he would be leaving behind. The result is a funny and heartfelt look at family, tradition, change and the ties that keep us connected.

The comedy has been praised as "Loaded with laughs every step of the way" by The Star-Ledger and "Heartwarming" by The New York Times. Backstage called it "A hilarious family comedy," while the Observer described it as "A crowd-pleasing night of theatre."

Auditions

CTAW will hold open auditions on Sunday, September 13 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at Woodbury Old Town Hall, 5 Mountain Road, Woodbury, CT 06798 and Tuesday, September 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Woodbury Parks and Recreation, 10 Mountain Road, Woodbury, CT 06798.

Sides will be available at auditions. Actors interested in auditioning are encouraged to visit ctaw-ct.org for character descriptions and additional audition information.