Tony Award winner DONNA McKECHNIE will star in River City Repertory Theatre’s 2011-12 season opener, Frank D. Gilroy’s THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES. The show opens December 9th at Riverview Theater.

The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play focuses on a young veteran, newly returning from WWII, and his strained relationship with his parents. LOGAN SLEDGE and RICHARD FOLMER round out the three-character cast.

McKechnie won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the original production of Michael Bennett’s A CHORUS LINE. She portrayed Cassie, a dancer seeking a comeback, and was featured in the show’s most famous number “The Music and the Mirror.” In addition to the Tony Award, McKechnie also won the Drama Desk Award and a Theatre World Special Award for the musical. In 1996, she was given the Fred Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer for her performance in the Broadway production of STATE FAIR. Recently, she completed a run in TEN CENTS A DANCE which premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and later transferred to the McCarter Theatre. McKechnie was seen in River City Rep’s production of THE GLASS MENAGERIE in the inaugural season for the company.

Sledge has appeared in several River City Rep productions including DOUBT, THE LION IN WINTER, THE ROSE TATTOO, THE LITTLE FOXES and THE GLASS MENAGERIE. Folmer has been seen in RCRT’s MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS and THE ROSE TATTOO.

The play is directed by PATRIC McWILLIAMS with Light Design by DAVID GIPSON, Set and Costume Design by McWilliams and Original Music/Sound Design by KERMIT POLING. The Production Stage Manager is VANNA RICHARDSON.