Warner Shook Directs The Prisoner of Second Avenue At ACT 4/29-5/29

Timely, relevant, bittersweet, and scathingly funny, The Prisoner of Second Avenue by the prolific Neil Simon gets the all-star treatment at ACT Theatre, April 29-May 29, with director Warner Shook at the helm and a cast that reads like a Who's Who in Seattle Theatre.

In this comic portrait of urban angst spiked with Simon's trademark zingers, Mel Edison (R. Hamilton Wright) and his wife Edna (Anne Allgood) are a middle-class, middle-aged couple trying to make ends meet in 1970s Manhattan as their world quickly turns upside down and inside out.
Faced with a financial crisis when Mel loses his job in an all-too-familiar economic recession, the couple must also deal with noisy neighbors, a garbage strike, burglars, and Mel's impending nervous breakdown. Just when it seems like things can't get any worse, Mel's brother Harry (John Aylward) and sisters Pauline (Cynthia Lauren Tewes), Pearl (Kimberly King), and Jessie (Julie Briskman) arrive to help, and raise the comedic stakes even higher.

"Not only is it a funny, poignant, and a well-constructed play, The Prisoner of Second Avenue is incredibly relevant for what is going on with America today," said Shook. "Neil Simon is prescient; it's uncanny how he saw into the future. He is brilliant at eliciting pain through humor. It is remarkable, the parallels of what these two people are going through, in their Second Avenue apartment in New York City, and what the world is going through now."

The Prisoner of Second Avenue premiered on Broadway in 1971 with Peter Falk and Lee Grant as the Edisons and Vincent Gardenia as Mel's beleaguered brother, Harry. It ran for almost 800 performances and garnered Tony Awards for both Gardenia and director Mike Nichols, as well as earning a nomination for Best Play. In 1975, The Prisoner of Second Avenue was made into a movie starring Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft, with a screenplay by Neil Simon. Warner Shook directed the 2009 revival of the play in Massachusetts, and The Prisoner of Second Avenue was most recently restaged in 2010 in London's West End, and featured Jeff Goldblum and Mercedes Ruehl.

ACT's production of The Prisoner of Second Avenue will be Shook's second time directing this play. The cast includes Anne Allgood, John Aylward, Julie Briskman, Kimberly King, Cynthia Lauren Tewes, and R. Hamilton Wright.

"I knew when Kurt [Beattie] asked me to direct this play at ACT, that I wanted to use an all-Seattle cast," added Shook. "From my years of working in Seattle, I have fallen in love over and over again with the plethora of talent that is here in Seattle - it has the most diversified, marvelously eclectic, and wonderfully talented acting pool of any city I know of. I'm just thrilled that not only do I have an all-local cast, but I sort of have the 'blue chip' local cast!"

CAST (in alphabetical order):
Anne Allgood Edna Edison
John Aylward Harry Edison
Julie Briskman Jessie
Kimberly King Pearl
Cynthia Lauren Tewes Pauline
R. Hamilton Wright Mel Edison

CREATIVE TEAM
Warner Shook Director
Matthew Smucker Scenic Designer
Deb Trout Costume Designer
Rick Paulsen Lighting Designer
Brendan Patrick Hogan Sound Designer
Jeffrey Hanson Stage Manager

Performance Schedule:
Fri., April 29, 8:00 p.m. (Previews begin)

Sat., April 30, 8:00 p.m.

Sun., May 1, 7:30 p.m.

Tue., May 3, 7:30 p.m. (Behind the Scenes, 6:00 p.m.)

Wed., May 4, 7:30 p.m. (Apple Series, 6:00 p.m.)

Thurs., May 5, 7:30 p.m. OPENING NIGHT

Fri., May 6, 8:00 p.m.

Sat., May 7, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sun., May 8, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Tue., May 10, 7:30 p.m.

Wed., May 11, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., May 12, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Fri., May 13, 8:00 p.m.

Sat., May 14, 8:00 p.m.

Sun., May 15, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Tue., May 17, 7:30 p.m.

Wed., May 18, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., May 19, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., May 20, 8:00 p.m.

Sat., May 21, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sun., May 22, 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Wed., May 25, 7:30 p.m.

Thurs., May 26, 7:30 p.m.

Fri., May 27, 8:00 p.m.

Sat., May 28, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Sun., May 29, 2:00 p.m.

ACT Special Events (FREE and open to the public):

Behind the Scenes, Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

Before the Tuesday night preview of a Mainstage production, Artistic Director Kurt Beattie and members of ACT's artistic team give you the heads-up and the lowdown on what it takes to make that night's magic. Sponsored by KING FM with delicious bites provided by an ACT premiere caterer.

Tastings, Friday, May 13, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.

A delicious new tradition: beers, wines, and beverages from around the world, paired with local artisan foods-all matched to fit the theme of our Mainstage productions! Keith Johnsen will search his vast collection of spirits, as well as the bountiful variety of local markets, to procure the perfect show-themed treats.

Post Play Discussions - Tues, May 10, 7:30 p.m.; Sun, May 15, 2:00 p.m.; Sun, May 22, 7:00 pm
Wondering about creative choice or dying to explore the themes of a play? Here's your chance! Stick around and participate in a post-show discussion with the director and actors following select performances of each Mainstage play.

About ACT: A Theatre of New Ideas - Raising Consciousness Through Theatre
Located in the heart of downtown Seattle and serving a population of curious, open-minded, and brave audiences, ACT - A Contemporary Theatre is the only theatre in Seattle dedicated to producing contemporary work with promising playwrights and local performing artists since 1965. A theatre of new ideas, ACT serves as a cultural engine that makes plays, dance, music, and film that touch us. Because contemporary life demands examination, ACT is driven to inspire and strengthen our diverse community through works that advance our understanding of human life. With more than 100,000 people who attend shows annually, ACT is an interactive community where artists and the public witness, contemplate, and engage in dialogue on today's thought-provoking issues, ideas and art, presented with intelligence, insight, and humor.

ACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our 2011 Season Sponsors: ACT Foundation, The Andrew Mellon Foundation ArtsFund, The Eulalie Bloedel Schneider Artists Fund, The John Graham Foundation, The Mayor's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and The Shubert Foundation.

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