Crowded Kitchen Players' new dark comedy, "All You Need to Know", plunges full-throttle into the very present-day battle between culture and commerce--- What is art, who is an actual artist, and where and why should scarce public funding for the arts be most beneficially spent' "All You Need to Know" will play October 7-23, 2022 at The Charles A. Brown Ice House in Bethlehem, PA. Althea Ruff, a heretofore unknown grant applicant, reaches out for money to help her chronicle the story of her rough-and-tumble life and remaining days, with the assistance of a film crew fighting against time and a shoe-string budget, while an arts commission comprised of business persons, clergy, and carriage trade parishioners wades through grant applications from a list of the usual recipients--- Baroque Choir, local Symphony, Community Theater, County Fair, etc.
Althea is in the final stages of an incurable, degenerative disease, osteonecrosis, sometimes known as 'bone death', and she and the film crew desperately try to capture the essence of a woman's life and hard times in her waning days. "The film describes an adult death," the application reads, "through the lens of childhood beliefs and shattered dreams." 
The play shifts between the actual, life-and-death struggles of the film artists and a business-minded committee fixated on awarding the annual 10 million dollars in grants to family-friendly, time-tested, and familiar entertainment.
"All You Need to Know" is written and directed by Ara Barlieb. Regional, award-winning filmmaker Vincent Mondillo has created a screening version of Althea's work-in-progress that will be projected at critical moments throughout the play as the arts commission wrangles over the wisdom and propriety of granting precious money to an unknown artist who is creating something that so clearly lacks the values the committee holds near and dear---- potential for wide public popularity and benefit to the local business community. Trish Cipoletti portrays Althea Ruff. David Oswald plays Arturo. Sharon Ferry is cast as the arts commission coordinator, Marge; Bruce Brown, as commission member, Pastor Passover; Pamela Wallace as the filmmaker, Ginnie; Phuong Tran, as commissioner Ichabod; Darcel Gibson, as commissioner Loretta; and David Donato, as commissioner ChiChi. Tickets are $15 Seniors and Students, and $18 General Public, credit card online or cash/check at the door. Seating may be reserved in the upstairs theater space. A lift is available for those who need to avoid stairs. Showtimes are 800PM October 7,8,14,15,21,22 and 200PM October 9,16,23. The Charlies A. Brown Ice House is located at 56 River Street, Bethlehem, PA, on Sand Island. For information, please call 610-704-6974, visit www.ckplayers.com, or write