Retro Productions to Donate a Percentage of Box Office to Neighborhood Cats

Retro Productions is pleased to announce that they will be donating a percentage of their box-office to the New York City based Neighborhood Cats. A catch, neuter, and release organization that was founded in 1999 by 3 Upper West Side neighbors who came together to help a colony of 30 feral cats. The organization that started as a small community is now a national leader when it comes to the care of feral and stray cats. "We introduced TNR on a community-wide basis to New York City and have trained over 6,000 residents to trap and manage feral cats. This in turn has led to tens of thousands of altered ferals and contributed to dramatic drops in cat intake and euthanasia at City shelters." More info is available at www.neighborhoodcats.org

Award-winning Retro Productions, under the Artistic Direction of Heather E. Cunningham, will present the critically acclaimed play, And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little by Paul Zindel. The production runs May 5th through May 20th at the Gene Frankel Theatre. Shay Gines, the Founding Executive Director of the New York Innovative Theatre Awards, directs. This is the 50th anniversary of And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little. The play was originally produced in Los Angles in 1967, and in 1971 the comedy opened on Broadway at the Morosco Theatre.

Artistic Director Heather E. Cunningham explains what drew her to the play and why it's still so relevant, "The more I read it - and the more I read about the year we are setting it in 1968 - the more fascinating it becomes in the context of our past - these four educated women in this apartment being told what to think and how to feel and how they should be living their lives by the only MAN in the room - it perfectly encapsulates the struggle at the beginning of feminism and now. It's eerie to realize how little has changed."

And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little is an often biting and occasionally touching black comedy of the late 60s that centers on the lives of the three Reardon sisters, whose father abandoned the family long ago, and whose mother has recently passed away. The sisters, now adults and all working in the New York City public school system, have come to a crossroads - the youngest sister, having barely survived a scandalous incident at school, has suffered a nervous breakdown. When the married sister comes back to the childhood apartment the two unmarried sisters now share in an effort to commit her sibling to an institution, the built-up resentments of the last decade are pushed to the forefront. Should Anna be committed? Is it in her best interest or is it just easier for Ceil if she doesn't have to care for her? Is it selfish of Catherine to want to keep her at home? Who is strongest in this fight of wills - and does Catherine really need another cocktail?

The cast features Wynne Anders (Off-Broadway Claymont/Emerging Artists Theatre), Christopher Borg (Charles Busch's Judith of Bethulia/Theatre for the New City), Heather E. Cunningham (NYIT Award for Best Actress in An Appeal To The Woman Of The House/Retro), Rebecca Holt (Broadway How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying with Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally), Amanda Jones (Off-Broadway Candida/Jean Cocteau Repertory), Sean J. Moran (Widows directed by Hal Brooks at 59E59), and Sara Thigpen (NYIT Award for Best Actress in Burning the old Man Jo/Boomerang Theatre).

The creative team includes set design by Jack & Rebecca Cunningham, costume design by Ben Philipp, lighting design by Asa Lipton, sound design by DeLisa M. White, properties design by Sara Slagle, and stage management by Elizabeth Ramsay.

All performances take place at the Gene Frankel Theatre, 24 Bond Street (Between Lafayette & Bowery), New York, NY 10012. Subways: 6 to Bleecker Street, B/D/F/M to Broadway/Lafayette. Tickets are $25.00 (adults), $22.00 (students/seniors), and are available at www.retroproductions.org - $10.00 student rush tickets are available at the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain (cash only). Running time 90 minutes.

Show Dates:

Friday, May 5th at 8:00 pm (Opening Night)

Saturday, May 6th at 8:00 pm

Sunday, May 7th at 2:00 pm

Monday, May 8th at 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 11th at 8:00 pm

Friday, May 12th at 8:00 pm

Saturday, May 13th at 8:00 pm

Sunday, May 14th at 2:00 pm

Wednesday, May 17th at 8:00 pm

Thursday, May 18th at 8:00 pm

Friday, May 19th at 8:00 pm

Saturday, May 20th at 8:00 pm

More info is available at www.retroproductions.org.

Retro Productions has received 22 New York Innovative Theatre Awards nominations since 2008 - including 2 wins for Outstanding Actress in a Lead, for Kristen Vaughan (Benefactors by Michael Frayn in 2011) and Heather E. Cunningham (An Appeal to the Woman of the House by Christie Perfetti Williams in 2014). Nominations include Outstanding Production of a Revival for The Butter and Egg Man in 2015, Outstanding Production of a Play for An Appeal to the Woman of the House in 2014, Benefactors in 2011 and The Desk Set in 2010, Outstanding Original Full-length script for An Appeal to the Woman of the House in 2014, Outstanding Ensemble for Benefactors in 2011, as well as acting and design award nominations.