MA's Theatre@First Reads Comedy 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD, 4/19

Bare Bones: Staged Readings at Theatre@First in Somerville, Mass., kicks off its 2012 season with 84 Charing Cross Road on Thursday, April 19 at 8pm.

The single performance takes place at Unity Somerville, 6 William Street at College Ave. This is an unticketed event with a suggested donation of $5. More information is available at www.theatreatfirst.org.

84 Charing Cross Road is the delightful story of a twenty-year correspondence between a struggling New York writer and the staff of a London bookshop. In this age of Internet “friends” and anonymous chat, the time-lag of airmail may seem quaint, but relationships built on the written word have never been more relevant.

Based on the true story of Helene Hanff’s correspondence with the staff of Marks & Co., 84 Charing Cross Road was published as a book in 1970 and adapted for television, stage and film—most recently for a 2007 BBC production starring Gillian Anderson. Roose-Evans’ adaptation preserves all the humor and human connection of Hanff’s original work.

Long-time collaborator Gilly Rosenthol directs for Theatre@First for the first time with a delightful cast including returning collaborator Liz Adams and newcomers Andrew Harrington and Karen Fanale. The director and cast will be available for conversation with the audience following the performance.

Theatre@First is Somerville’s largest community theatre. Since 2010, Bare Bones: Staged Readings at Theatre@First has given casts and audiences the opportunity to explore a wider variety of plays in the spare, intense setting of a directed reading.