Moonbox Productions' Presents JONATHAN and THE GOOD DELI, September 15- 18

Winner of numerous IRNE and Elliot Norton Awards, Moonbox Productions will kick-off its season with the debut of two original plays by two local playwrights and Moonbox alumni, Jonathan by Mary Elizabeth Peters and The Good Deli by Kevin Cirone.

Performed in repertory, the plays will open at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre on September 15th and run through October 2nd. Tickets are $35 and are available at www.bostontheatrescene.com or by calling 617-933-8600. Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available at the Box Office (Box Office fees may apply).

Directed by Brad Reinking, Jonathan is about a young man with autism who is working at a big-box store the week before Christmas. But as the holiday season heats up, his personal aspirations are at odds with the reality of how he is treated. Will Jonathan push to keep his job, or give up? Will his employer help him succeed, or get rid of him? Jonathan will ask audiences to consider what we really believe in America: about adults with disabilities, about employment, and about the creature comforts of a retail economy.

The cast of Jonathan features Sam Fidler (Jonathan Gibbs), Laura DeGiacomo (Alice Gibbs), Bill Mootos (Stewart Samuels), Kara Chu Nelson (Kara Powers), Jyoti Daniere (Phyllis Simpson), Lille Riesing (Ensemble), Alyse Clinton (Ensemble), and Kean Petrello (Ensemble).

Directed by Allison Olivia Choat, The Good Deli centers on Julia, an up-and-coming Boston comedian whose career is building even as her life is falling apart. It's a night like any other until Julia's stepmom calls in a panic - her estranged father is on his deathbed. Julia rushes to his side, only to find him seemingly the same wise-ass curmudgeon he always was - except now he's obsessed with the Italian deli the family visited when Julia was a child. With moral support from an unlikely group of allies, including a former priest, an exotic dancer, and her nerdy brother Max, Julia hits the road to find the mythical deli and give her father the sandwich of his dreams. It all seemed like a great idea, but now her entire family is in tow, they're running out of caffeine, and they're hitting every red light from Maine to Boston, all while trying to reconnect to a deli - and a past - that may be lost forever.

The cast of The Good Deli includes Aimee Doherty* (Julia), Phil Thompson** (Wilford), H. Webb Tilney (Max), Janis Greim Hudson (Lila/Fortune), Kevin Cirone (Peter), and Catherine Lee Christie (Dana).

"Having just wrapped up our very first Boston New Works Festival in June, it seems like the perfect kickoff to be featuring two fully produced, brand new plays by local playwrights as part of our Mainstage Season," said Producer, Sharman Altshuler. "Both of these shows have weathered not one, but two COVID-related cancellations, but these amazing teams have endured it all, and are excited to finally bring these pieces to the stage. It will be well worth the wait," said Altshuler.

To purchase tickets to Jonathan and The Good Deli, go to www.bostontheatrescene.com. To make an additional donation to support the work of Moonbox click here.

Moonbox Productions was founded in 2011 by Producer/Artistic Director Sharman Altshuler. Based in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Moonbox is dedicated to supporting local arts and local artists, and to connecting communities to the non-profit organizations that serve them. To fulfill their artistic mission, Moonbox taps the deep well of talent within their own communities to bring top quality theatrical experiences to stages throughout the Greater Boston area. To fulfill their social mission, they partner with a local non-profit organization for each show, giving them visibility on their website and in their promotional materials, as well as giving them access to their audiences in order to raise awareness of their cause, create connections within the community, and increase the reach and impact of their work. Moonbox has also established a youth mentorship program ("Shadowbox") and is currently launching a new company initiative ("Turning the Tide") to increase representation and opportunities in theater for Deaf and Disabled artists. To learn more, visit www.moonbox.org.

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