Julie Halston, Ann Harada, Jackie Hoffman, and Anika Larsen Will Lead WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS?

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane has assembled a cast of Broadway favorites Julie Halston, Ann Harada, Jackie Hoffman, and Anika Larsen for his new show What Fresh Hell Is This?, a Dorothy Parker Cocktail, which is set to play two special performances at The Players (16 Gramercy Park South) on Monday, July 8th.  Shows will be at 7:00 pm (Happy Hour) and 9:00 pm (Nightcap). The performances will benefit NAACP. 

Four of theatre’s funniest ladies unite to perform the wittiest and wisest of the great Algonquin wit, the legendary Dorothy Parker. Created and directed by Beane, a five time Tony ® Award nominee and lifetime Parker fan, the evening finds the funny and the cutting but also the obscure political and social commentary of Parker, sadly even more relevant today. 

Beane says “Putting these wonderful women into the world of Dorothy Parker is a dream for me.  And to do it as a benefit for NAACP seems right and fitting. Dorothy left her estate to the organization and she would have loved it. Oh, and there’s a bar. She really would love that!”

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York.  She was known for her caustic wisecracks and eye on 20th Century urban foibles.  Parker rose to acclaim, both for her literary works published in magazines such as the New Yorker, and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the circle, Parker traveled to Hollywood to pursue screenwriting. Her successes there, including two Academy Award nominations, were curtailed when her involvement in left-wing politics resulted In her being placed on the Hollywood blacklist.  Dismissive of her own talents, she deplored her reputation as a “wisecracker” Nevertheless, both her literary output and reputation for sharp wit have endured. 

The Players celebrates the rich cultural life of New York City with excusive members-only events that include live performances, readings by leading authors and playwrights, film screenings, and dining in its famous Grill Room. More information on The Players may be found at www.theplayersnyc.org.

Tickets are $52.20 (including a $5.20 Fee) on Eventbrite, www.eventbrite.com.