This world premiere is based on the historical events surrounding what is generally considered to be the “first ransom kidnapping” in America. In 1874, 4-year-old Charles Ross, or “Little Charlie,” and his 6-year-old brother were lured by two men into a carriage outside their home in Philadelphia.  The men drove them around the city for two hours before dropping off the older boy.  Charlie, however, was never seen again.  His father, a wealthy businessman named Christian Ross, received a letter demanding $20,000 for the safe return of his son.  Countless publications nationwide, including the New York Times, and circus promoter P.T. Barnum, who offered a $10,000 reward for Charlie, helped raise awareness of the case but also benefited from the chaos they created.  For years, Christian Ross received hundreds of tips of sightings of Charlie across the United States, Canada, and England, including men claiming to be Charlie himself; none were legitimate.  The two kidnappers were named but died before going to trial, and the fate of “Little Charlie” remains unknown. In 2009, Mach read from The Lost Boy as part of the Made in Oregon series at JAW Playwrights Festival, sponsored by Portland Center Stage.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:  
Susan Mach has an MA in Playwriting from Boston University. Her first play, Monograms, was produced at Theatre for the New City in New York City, the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble in Bloomsburg, PA, Portland Repertory Theatre in Portland, OR, and the Icaras Theatre Ensemble in Ithaca, New York. The script, published by Rain City Press in Seattle, also received a Portland Drama Critics Circle Award. Her second play, Angle of View, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award and received readings at Portland Repertory Theatre and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. For her third play, The Shadow Testament, she received a Woman Writers Fellowship from Literary Arts, Inc. This piece has been workshopped by Artists Repertory Theatre, ACT in Seattle, WA, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and New York Theatre Workshop. Her play, The Difficult Season, a collaboration with renowned jazz pianist and songwriter Dave Frishberg, was also workshopped at Artists Rep. The Lost Boy, commissioned by The Haven Project, earned her an Oregon Book Award in 2011 and an Oregon Literary Fellowship in 2007. Susan has received grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Commission, the Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Council for the Humanities.