RLTP Presents THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR, Opens 9/10

Road Less Traveled Productions announces its world premiere production of The Couple Next Door on Friday, September 10, 2010. This frank yet funny look at human sexuality in the suburbs is the first produced play by WNY writer Donna Hoke, and was developed in RLTP's 2009 Emanuel Fried New Play Workshop. The Couple Next Door is also RLTP's Curtain Up! offering, the first play in their 2010-2011 season.

What happens on Grand Island doesn't always stay on Grand Island. When suburbanites Sadie and Vance try to remedy their marriage by hooking up with the swinging-savvy Janet and Rich, all four find that nothing - even chocolate - is as simple as it seems. This sexy adult comedy asks: Can marriage survive a night with The Couple Next Door? And will there be awkwardness at the mailbox the morning after?

The play stars Kelly Meg Brennan, Matt Witten, Luke Wager, and Natalie Mack, under the direction of RLTP Artistic Director Scott Behrend. It runs through Sunday, October 3.

Behrend said Hoke's play is an irreverent portrayal of "alternate lifestyles" among frustrated middle class married couples in suburban WNY. "It's a very sharp comedy that examines why different kinds of consenting adults decide to experiment outside traditional marital guidelines."

"No matter what public face a couple presents, you never really know what's going on in a relationship behind the curtains," offered playwright Hoke. "I wanted to write a play about two couples whose own relationships are very much affected by their perceptions of each other... which may or may not be accurate."

Behrend labeled The Couple Next Door "humorous and topical and hot. There are a lot of laughs, but Donna Hoke treats these characters with a lot of sensitivity and humanity, as well."

"Estimates are that about twelve percent of couples swing regularly," Behrend suggested. "And that doesn't take into account those that have only dabbled in it. That means there's a very good chance that someone you know is living The Lifestyle!"

The Couple Next Door pairs RLTP favorites Kelly Meg Brennan (winner of the 2010 Artie Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Buffalo Spree 2010 Favorite Actress Award, and last seen in RLTP's Triangles) and Luke Wager (last seen at the RLTT in 2009's Grenadine) opposite Matt Witten (star of RLTP's smash hit productions of A.R. Gurney's A Light Lunch and Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All The Luck) and newcomer Natalie Mack. "I'm very excited to see this foursome on stage!" Hoke declared. "No pun intended!"
After 17 years living and working in the tri-state area, Donna Hoke returned to her native Buffalo in 2004 with her four children. A full-time freelancer, she has been a national magazine writer/editor for more than 24 years, a crossword puzzle constructor for the past 16, and editor of Buffalo Spree Home for two years. An avid theatergoer, Donna was inspired to write plays after returning to Buffalo and experiencing the wealth of theater here. The Couple Next Door was originally developed through the Road Less Traveled New Play Workshop.

The Couple Next Door will run Friday, September 10, through Sunday, October 3 at the Road Less Traveled Theater. Shows are at 7:30PM, Thursdays through Saturdays, and 2:00PM matinees on Sundays.

Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) is a professional theatre company dedicated to the development and production of new theatrical works by Western New York playwrights, as well as presentations of esteemed modern dramas of outstanding literary merit. RLTP is located in the Market Arcade Film & Arts Center in the theater district of downtown Buffalo. For ticketing information call 1-800-745-3000 or visit www.RoadLessTraveledProductions.org. RLTP's work is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.