Comedy THE BOYS NEXT DOOR Launches 2016 at The City Theatre Tonight

Four men, nine boxes of Wheaties, one Spiderman tie, a thousand doughnuts, and a lot of heart! The City Theatre presents the 2016 season kick-off production of Tom Griffin's hilarious, yet heartwarming comedy, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR. Under the direction of guest directors Carl and Lacey Gonzales and with one of the best company of actors on the CTC stage, performances begin tonight, January 15th, through February 7th at The City Theatre.

The place is a communal residence, where four mentally handicapped men live under the supervision of an earnest, but increasingly "burned out" social worker. Norman, who is unable to resist the lure of sweet pastries, takes great pride in the huge bundle of keys that dangles from his waist; Lucien P. Smith has the mind of a five-year-old but imagines that he is able to comprehend the weighty books he lugs about; Arnold, the ringleader of the group, is a hyperactive, compulsive chatterer, who suffers from deep-seated insecurities; and Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic who is devastated by the rejection of his father, fantasizes that he is a golf pro. Mingled with scenes from the daily lives of these four, where "little things" sometimes become momentous (and often very funny), are moments of great poignancy when, with touching effectiveness, we are reminded that the handicapped, like the rest of us, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning in the time that they have on this precious earth.

"When I got this stuff, I didn't tell the lady it was for a party of grown up adults with their own home. I didn't want to be a bragger." - Arnold

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR was originally titled, Damaged Hearts, Broken Flowers. The play was renamed and revised for a later production at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and then went to become a smash hit off-Broadway. Tom Griffin's work has been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on London's West end, in scores of regional theatres, and in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Boys has seen over 3500 productions in the United States, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Vienna, and Sydney. The CTC production is led by Carl and Lacey Gonzales, Directors of Austin's Oh Dragon Theatre Company. They are joined by the fantastic cast of Heath Thompson, R. Michael Clinkscales, McArthur Moore, Tony Salinas, Chance McKee, Beth Watkin, Donald Owen, Te'Juana Johnson, and Austin Vaught.

The City Theatre Company is excited to be celebrating its 10th anniversary season of live theatre entertainment in Austin. CTC is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance and the Austin Cultural Arts Division. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards, the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards, Austin Live Theatre, and has twice been voted "Best Theatre Company" by Austin American-Statesman's Austin 360. CTC is dedicated in providing quality theatrical experiences and entertainment for Austin artists and its community and continues the commitment to making productions accessible for everyone. CTC offers its discount ticket program with $10 Thursday seats and $12 student seats for any show. The ticket discount is available throughout the 2015-16 summer season.

IF YOU GO:

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR by Tom Griffin

January 15 - February 7. Thursday - Saturday 8:00 pm. Sunday 3:00 pm.

The City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd. Suite D. 78722.

General Seating $15. Front/2nd Row Reserved $20-25. Thursday all seats $10.

Tickets at the door $20. Group and student discounts.

For reservations, call 512-524-2870 or e-mail info@citytheatreaustin.org

Visit www.citytheatreaustin.org for more

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