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Abigail's Party Extends at the Acorn Through April 8; The Music Teacher Switches Theatres

By: Dec. 30, 2005
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Abigail's Party, which received raves upon opening at the Acorn Theatre (410 W. 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenue) on January 1st, has extended its run through April 8th.

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As a result, Wallace and AlLen Shawn's The Music Teacher, which was supposed to have opened at the Acorn, will play the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, between 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street) from February 21st through April 8th. The Music Teacher and Abigail's Party are both presented by The New Group.

Mike Leigh's play Abigail's Party, which is set in '70s London, is a caustic exploration of suburban middle class lives as a number of neigbors get together at the soirée of the title. The play, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, was first extended through February 11th; it was originally set to close on January 7th. In addition to Jason Leigh, Abigail's Party features Max Baker, Lisa Emery, Darren Goldstein and Elizabeth Jasicki.

Abigail's Party is directed by Scott Elliott (Hurlyburly) and features sets by Derek McLane, lighting by Jason Lyons, costumes by Eric Becker, and sound by Ken Travis. A much-seen BBC movie version of Abigail's Party was made in 1977; and the work also received an Olivier nomination for Best Revival of 2002 when it was performed at the New Ambassador's Theatre.

Leigh has written and directed plays and films since 1965 including his Oscar-nominated films Vera Drake, Topsy-Turvy and Secrets & Lies. Other films include: Bleak Moments, Hard Labour, Nuts In May, The Kiss of Death, Who's Who, Grown-ups, Home Sweet Home, Meantime, Four Days In July, The Short and Curlies, High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, A Sense Of History, Naked (Best Director, Cannes) and Career Girls. His many plays include Ecstasy, Smelling A Rat, Goose-Pimples, Babies Grow Old, Abigail's Party, Greek Tragedy and It's A Great Big Shame. Goose-Pimples won the London Evening Standard Peter Sellers Best Comedy Award in 1981. Currently, his play Two Thousand Years is running at London's National Theatre.
 
The Music Teacher is a "play-opera" by Wallace Shawn (Aunt Dan and Lemon) with music by AlLen Shawn; it will be directed by Tom Cairns. "A unique and startling blend of theatre and opera, The Music Teacher is a story of creation and obsession in which a younger teacher and his brilliant female student conceive and perform a new opera," according to press notes. Casting has not yet been announced for the show.

Abigail's Party will play Monday–Saturday at 8:00 PM and matinees on Saturday at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $51.25 – 66.25 and can be arranged through Ticket Central at www.ticketcentral.com, by calling (212) 279-4200, or at the Theatre Row Box Office (12:00 – 8:00 PM daily). For more information, visit www.thenewgroup.org.





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