Maryland Ensemble Theatre's Met-X Program Presents SUSAN AND GOD

The Endangered Species Project's third offering, Susan and God, by Rachel Crothers will take place at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (through the generosity of the MET-X branch) on April 28th and at Hood College on April 29th.

After presenting one of Rachel Crother's first plays, He and She, The Endangered Species Project (TES) is back with her final and most popular play: Susan and God -- presented as an actively staged reading with live music. Written in 1937 by the founder of the American Theatre Wing, Susan and God is a glittering dramedy of a socialite who has found a "new-aged God" but lost herself. Susan, a wealthy New York socialite, lives only for Susan. When she discovers a new religious philosophy (the same one that began the Alcoholics Anonymous movement), she eagerly spreads the word to her friends while ignoring her troubled family. Susan and God ran on Broadway 81 years ago for a total of 288 performances. Six years later (1943), the play was selected to open City Center.

The Endangered Species Project was conceived by Christine Mosere and the name was inspired by a Seattle collective who brought large-scale productions to life through staged readings. TES has put a twist on that group by focusing on forgotten playwrights or plays with strong roles for women over forty -- what she calls "the true endangered species of theatre."

Mosere is excited to bring this show to the Frederick community. "I have always been fascinated with the way history shows us that our new ideas aren't actually so new... they were around 60, 70, and 80 years ago!" and she goes on to say, "I also love plays written in the early half of the 20th century as they tended to write strong female characters -- it was a time when women were gaining divorce rights, had a mini-sexual revolution, and were fighting and gaining the right to vote (although, we do now realize it was a right that was still kept from many women of color until many years later).

Julie Herber (MET Associate Artistic Director) will bring Susan to life along with Aaron Angelo, Surasree Das, Jason Hoffman, Dan Jacoby, Lena Janes, Cassandra Redding, Daniel Valentin-Morales, Kayte Williams, and production Stage Manager Katie Woods.

The show also features the musical talents of Anne Raugh, with Daniel Valentin-Morales, Surasree Das and Dan Jacoby.

The show plays April 28th at 3pm at MET, 31 W. Patrick Street in downtown Frederick, and continues on April 29th at 4pm at Hood College in their black box theatre. The cost is pay-what-you-will, but reservations are strongly suggested. Reservations can be made at www.marylandensemble.org under MET-X or by calling the box office at 301.694.4744.

Special thank you to MET Artistic Director Tad Janes and to Hood College Humanities Professor Aaron Angelo and Hood College Theatre Director and Professor Joseph Brady.

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