THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH Reimagined At Everyman

Everyman Theatre is gearing up for one of the most produced plays from the American canon, and the third offering in its LIVE 31st season, Thornton Wilder's romp through the ages, THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH. The production at Everyman Theatre is directed by Associate Artistic Director Noah Himmelstein and runs from December 7, 2021 through January 2, 2022.

As relevant today as its original production in 1942, this inspiring piece of Americana uses humor, history, and mythology to highlight humanity's drive to carry on against even the worst of odds. The original Broadway production starred Tallulah Bankhead, Fredric March, and Montgomery Clift, and won the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Skin of Our Teeth combines farce, burlesque, and satire and chronicles the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, suburbanites of Excelsior, New Jersey, their children Henry and Gladys, and their maid, Sabina, one of the noteworthy and essential women from Wilder's plays. The Antrobus family narrowly escapes one cataclysmic disaster after another, yet George Antrobus and his quirky family somehow manage to survive, but only by the skin of their teeth!

Founder and Artistic Director, Vincent M. Lancisi says, "With a cast that features a woolly mammoth, a fortune teller, a dinosaur, and Moses, with the Atlantic City Boardwalk thrown in for good measure, The Skin of Our Teeth is a hilarious yet demanding play that tackles quite a lot, including several natural disasters and wars throughout history. You will be captivated by this formidable and peculiar family, and with director Noah Himmelstein at the helm, I know without a doubt that this boundary-breaking Wilder play is in exceptionally good hands."

At Everyman, the ensemble cast for The Skin of Our Teeth features Everyman Resident Company members Felicia Curry (Sabina), Danny Gavigan (Ensemble), Helen Hedman (Ensemble), Beth Hylton (Mrs. Antrobus), Hannah Kelly (Ensemble), Tony K. Nam (Ensemble), Bruce R. Nelson (Ensemble), and Jefferson A. Russell (Mr. Antrobus), along with Zach Powell (Henry/Ensemble) and Deirdre Staples (Gladys/Ensemble).

According to Himmelstein, "It has been exhilarating preparing for The Skin of Our Teeth with this remarkable design team, cast and text from the astonishing Thornton Wilder. His pointing toward artists and great thought leaders as the key holders to this family's re-awakening after times of confusion is tremendously affirming. As we gain our footing through this phase of transition in our society and reawaken the planet, I cannot think of a better piece of theatre to remind us what is possible as we, too, build again."

Thornton Wilder was one of the most pivotal figures in the literary history of the 20th Century. He was a novelist and playwright whose works celebrate the connection between the commonplace and the cosmic dimensions of human experience. He is the only writer to win Pulitzer Prizes for both drama and fiction: for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and two plays, The Skin of Our Teeth and Our Town. His other major dramas include The Matchmaker (adapted as the musical Hello, Dolly!) and The Alcestiad. He enjoyed enormous success as a translator, adaptor, actor, librettist and lecturer/teacher and his screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt remains a classic psycho-thriller to this day. Wilder's many honors include the Gold Medal for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A Pikesville, Maryland native, Director Noah Himmelstein is one of two Associated Artistic Directors at Everyman Theatre along with Paige Hernandez. His credits at Everyman include last season's An Almost Holy Picture, as well as Everything is Wonderful, The Book of Joseph, and Los Otros. Among his other directorial credits are I Am Harvey Milk (Lincoln Center; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Denver. New York Magazine Critics Pick, LA Magazine "Best of the Year", Playbill's "Unforgettable Experience of the Year.") and The Harlem Renaissance (New York Philharmonic, Young People's Concerts at Geffen Hall). Looking ahead, Himmelstein is working on Off-Broadway productions of works by Karen Hartman, Michael John LaChiusa and a world premiere by Deborah Zoe Laufer. He is a graduate of Emerson College.

In addition to Himmelstein, the creative team for The Skin of Our Teeth includes set design by Daniel Ettinger, costume designs by David Burdick, lighting design by Daisy Long, sound design by Megumi Katayama, Projection Design by Rasean Davonte Johnson, and Puppet Design by James Ortiz. Additional artistic credits go to Denise O'Brien as Wig Designer, Amy Kellett as Scenic Charge, and Lewis Shaw as the Fights and Intimacy Coach. Jamie J. Kranz serves as Stage Manager and Laura C. Nelson as the Assistant Stage Manager. Ettinger, Burdick, and Shaw are also members of Everyman's Resident Company of Artists.

Single tickets for in-person performances of The Skin of Our Teeth are on-sale now and start at $29. Four-show subscriptions for the 2021/22 season at Everyman, starting at $129, are also available, and Video on Demand (VOD) streaming access begins December 24 and runs through January 16. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 9am until 6pm and Saturdays from 10am until 5pm. Visit everymantheatre.org or call 410.752.2208 for more information.

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