Laurents, Ludwig, Alexander, Cuccioli and Saxe Featured In George Street Playhouse's 2009-2010 Season

Artistic Director David Saint announced today the selections for George Street Playhouse's 2009-2010 season. In this economic downturn, when many arts organizations across the country are choosing to revive popular plays and musicals, Artistic Director David Saint has instead renewed the theatre's commitment to producing new work. The 2009-10 George Street Playhouse season will feature no less than four new works and one play, still to be announced.

"We worked very hard on the budget for this upcoming season and weighed a lot of options." said Mr. Saint. "But, the heartbeat of George Street Playhouse has always been about producing new work. New work is what keeps this theatre vital and it's why our audience comes here: to be entertained, to think, to feel and, to experience something new and fresh. I am thrilled with the remarkable roster of first-class and award-winning artists that will be working on new plays and musicals this season at George Street and I'm extremely proud to announce this upcoming season." Five-play, three-play and flexible admission packages are currently on sale.

Individual tickets will be available at the Box Office beginning August 24th. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, in the heart of New Brunswick's dining and entertainment district. For tickets and information, patrons may contact the Box Office directly at 732-246-7717 or may purchase online at GSPonline.org. 

2009 - 2010 SEASON SELECTIONS BELOW:

COME BACK, COME BACK, WHEREVER YOU ARE

George Street Playhouse is delighted to welcome back Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, who wrote last season's box office hit New Year's Eve and is the writer/director of the recent record-breaking Broadway revivals of West Side Story and Gypsy.

At the heart of any play by Mr. Laurents there are two key ingredients. The first is an honest, richly drawn cast of characters who wrestle with and stand up for their beliefs, confronting one another when their opinions differ. The other common theme is the truth by which Mr. Laurents has lived his 92 years and counting: that in all of life, the only thing that really matters is love.
His newest play, COME BACK, COME BACK, WHEREVER YOU ARE, is no exception. It is an intimate, stunning new drama about a woman coping with a devastating loss, her overbearing mother-in-law and the advances of a sexually persistent new suitor. But at its heart, it is a play about love.
Mr. Laurents will direct the play's premiere, which will open the new season, beginning previews on Tuesday, October 6 and running through Sunday, November 1. Opening night is set for Friday, October 9.

A MOON TO DANCE BY

Tony Award and Emmy Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee Jane Alexander stars with Robert Cuccioli (GSP's The Seafarer) and Gareth Saxe (Broadway's The Homecoming) in this beautiful, lyrical new play about Frieda Weekley, the often-scandalous widow of D.H. Lawrence and inspiration for his most controversial works including Lady Chatterly's Lover and Women in Love. Tony Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Edwin Sherin, long-time producer of television's Law & Order and director of Broadway's landmark Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning production of The Great White Hope (starring Miss Alexander), directs this new play by Thom Thomas. A MOON TO DANCE BY begins performances on Tuesday, November 17 and runs through December 13. Opening night is set for Friday, November 20.

Calvin Berger

GSP is thrilled to produce this hilarious new musical with book, music and lyrics by Barry Wyner. Too insecure to ask out the girl of his dreams, Calvin communicates with her through the handsome new kid in school. The result is a hip, heartfelt musical comedy re-telling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story, reset in a current-day American high school. Appropriate for ages 12 and up, this new musical, winner of the 2007 Richard Rodgers Award, is sure to delight anyone who has ever been an insecure teenager in love. "In the tradition of premiering exciting new musicals for the American theatre, like The Spitfire Grill and last year's The Toxic Avenger, Calvin Berger is certain to join their ranks as another new musical to be produced around the country," said Artistic Director David Saint. Calvin Berger begins 2010 at George Street Playhouse, running February 9 - March 14, 2010. Opening night is set for Friday, February 19. Select weeknight performances will have an earlier 7 pm curtain time (as opposed to 8 pm) to accommodate families with middle school and high school-aged students.

Ken Ludwig's A FOX ON THE FAIRWAY

America's number one farceur and author of Lend Me a Tenor, Tony Award-winner Ken Ludwig, teams up with Tony Award-winner John Rando, director of last season's laugh-out-loud hit The Toxic Avenger for this hysterical new comedy. A FOX ON THE FAIRWAY opens as underdog Quail Valley Country Club prepares to take on arch-rival Crouching Squirrel in this year's Annual Inter-Club Golf Tournament. With a sizable wager at stake, the contest plays out amidst three love affairs, a disappearing diamond, objectionable sweaters and an exploding vase. Sex and water hazards collide in this artful mad-cap adventure about love and golf."I wrote this new play as a tribute to the great English farces of the 1930s and 40s that I love so much," playwright Ken Ludwig said. "I felt moved to write it as an antidote to the times we live in, to try and move the ball a trifle closer to the sanity and good fellowship we all deserve."The laughter will begin on Tuesday, March 30 and will continue through Sunday, April 25. Opening night is set for Friday, April 2nd.

To Be Announced
Traditionally, one slot of each season is strategically left open to take advantage of last-minute opportunities, such as last season's The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith or the New Jersey premiere of David Auburn's Proof. While there are a number of possibilities currently being considered, the fifth and final title of the season will not be announced until the 2009-2010 season is under way. The final play or musical of the season will begin performances on Tuesday, May 11 and continue through June 6, 2010. Opening night will be Friday, May 14.

Individual Tickets range from $28 to $78 (based on performance and time, and seating section). All individual tickets go on sale beginning August 24. Discounts are available for senior citizens with proof of age, and students with valid ID. Information and tickets can be obtained through the Box Office at 732-246-7717 or at the GSP website www.GSPonline.org.

Season Subscriptions for the mainstage can be ordered by calling the Box Office at (732) 246-7717 or purchase online at www.GSPonline.org.

GROUP DISCOUNTS: Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For information call (732) 846-2895, ext. 134 or email mbergamo@georgestplayhouse.org.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theater, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Founded in 1974, The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway - recent productions include the Outer Critics' Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger, currently playing off-Broadway, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP's Touring Theatre features four issue-oriented productions that is seen by more than 70,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Continental Airlines is the official airline of George Street Playhouse.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.