SpeakEasy Stage to Present SIGNIFICANT OTHER This Fall

From September 9 to October 8, 2016, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present SIGNIFICANT OTHER, a sharply observed new comedy about the challenges of finding love and letting go, written by Bad Jews playwright Joshua Harmon.

Slated to begin previews on Broadway in February, 2017, SIGNIFICANT OTHER tells the story of Jordan Berman, a 29-year-old single gay man whose life up until now has revolved around BFF's Kiki, Laura, and Vanessa. But as singles nights suddenly turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan starts to worry about his romantic prospects, and sets out on a journey to find his own Mr. Right.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER is the latest from playwright Joshua Harmon, whose play Bad Jews was the third most-produced play in the United States during the 14-15 theatre season. A recent graduate of Julliard, Mr. Harmon has received fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. He is currently at work on commissions for Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, and Manhattan Theatre Club.

SpeakEasy Founder and Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault will direct this New England premiere production of SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Mr. Daigneault's recent SpeakEasy directing credits include the acclaimed productions of Violet, Mothers & Sons, Big Fish, The Color Purple, In the Heights, and Next to Normal. Mr. Daigneault is the recipient of three Elliot Norton Awards, including the 2014 Norton Award for Sustained Excellence.

Norton Award nominee Greg Maraio and Norton Award winner Kathy St. George head the cast, which also includes Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, JorDan Clark, Eddie Shields, Kris Sidberry, and Jared Troilo.

The design team is Christopher & Justin Swader (scenic); Tyler Kinney (costumes); Daniel H. Jentzen (lighting) and Lee Schuna (sound).

SIGNIFICANT OTHER will run for five weeks, from September 9 through October 8, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston's South End.

Ticket prices start at $25, with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under.

For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call the box office at 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER was first produced Off-Broadway by the Roundabout Theatre Company in May 2015 under the direction of Trip Cullman. The cast included Barbara Barrie, John Behlmann, Gideon Glick, Sas Goldberg, Lindsay Mendez, Carra Patterson, and Luke Smith. The show ran through August 16, 2015, and was named "One of the Top Ten Productions of 2015" by The New York Times. The show, with the same cast, will open for previews in February, 2017 at Broadway's Booth Theatre. SIGNIFICANT OTHER was also produced this past spring, from May 21- June 19, 2016, by Actor's Express in Atlanta.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Joshua Harmon (Playwright). Mr. Harmon's play Bad Jews received its world premiere at Roundabout Underground and was the first production to transfer to the Roundabout's Laura Pels Theatre. It was the third most-produced play in the United States during the 2014-2015 theatre season and transferred to London's West End after sell-out runs at Theatre Royal Bath and the St. James Theatre. It has also been produced internationally in Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, and South Africa. Mr. Harmon has received fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation. He is a recent graduate of Juilliard, and at work on commissions for Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, and Manhattan Theatre Club.

Paul Daigneault (Director/Producing Artistic Director) was the recipient of the 2014 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, presented by the Boston Theater Critics Association. Since founding SpeakEasy in 1992, he has produced over 100 Boston premieres. SpeakEasy directing highlights include Dogfight; Violet (2016); Mothers & Sons; Big Fish; The Color Purple; In the Heights; Xanadu; Next to Normal; Nine; Body Awareness; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; [title of show]; The Savannah Disputation; Jerry Springer - The Opera; The New Century; Some Men; Zanna, Don't!; Parade (2008 Elliot Norton Award - Outstanding Director, Midsize Company); Almost, Maine; Caroline, or Change; Take Me Out; Company; A Man of No Importance (co-production Súgán); Bat Boy: The Musical (2003 Elliot Norton Award - Outstanding Director, Small Company); Passion; A New Brain; Violet; Songs for a New World; Floyd Collins; Love! Valour! Compassion!; and Jeffrey. Regional credits: Grand Hotel and Nine (The Boston Conservatory and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music); Rent, City of Angels, Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along (The Boston Conservatory); Into the Woods, Urinetown, and Blue Window (Boston College). Paul is on the faculty at The Boston Conservatory where he teaches musical theater and directing. He was also honored in 2007 with the Boston College Arts Council's Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement, and served as the 2011-2012 Rev. J. Donald Monan S.J. Professor in Theatre Arts. Outside the theatre, Paul serves on the Board of the ICU Patient & Family Council at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Sarah Elizabeth Bedard (Kiki) is pleased to return to SpeakEasy for her official debut having gone on as an understudy during the run of Casa Valentina. New York credits include appearances with One Year Lease Theater Company, Classics on the Rocks, and Mettawee River Theatre Company. New England credits include productions with Gloucester Stage, Company One, Actors' Shakespeare Project, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Shakespeare & Company, Boston Public Works, and Bad Habit Productions. Sarah directs for Stoneham Theatre's Young Company and works with the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild. She holds an MFA in Acting from Brandeis University. sarahelizabethbedard.com

JorDan Clark* (Laura) is pleased to be making her SpeakEasy debut! Other Boston-area credits include productions with Lyric Stage, Central Square Theater, Wheelock Family Theatre, Company One, Brown Box Theatre Project, and New Exhibition Room. She also works with educational and interactive theatre companies such as Theatre Espresso and The Bok Players. Jordan holds a degree in Vocal Performance from The University of the Incarnate Word in her hometown of San Antonio, TX. She will next appear in Journey to the West at Central Square Theater.

Greg Maraio* (Jordan) is grateful to be returning to SpeakEasy Stage after appearing as Jonathon / Miranda in Casa Valentina (Norton, IRNE, ArtsImpulse, and Onstages Award nominations) and as Victor / Clint in John Kuntz's Necessary Monsters. A Boston native, Greg has been working as an actor and director in the Boston area for the past 10 years. Other recent acting credits include Finish Line (Boston Theater Company); Colossal (Company One); Translations (Bad Habit Productions); and The Misadventures of Spy Matthias (Theatre on Fire). Greg has also worked with many local companies including The Huntington, New Rep, Zeitgeist Stage, and Central Square Theater.

Eddie Shields* (Evan / Gideon / Roger) is thrilled to return to SpeakEasy having previously appeared in last season's Casa Valentina. Local credits: Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Company One); Pinocchio (Wheelock Family Theatre); The Comedy of Errors (ASP). Other credits include productions with Playwrights Horizons, Drilling Company, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Rebel Theater Company, and Midtown International Theatre Festival. Film/TV: Moonrise Kingdom, Unsure/Positive, The Entertainment. Eddie holds an MFA in Acting from Brandeis University, and is a member of Actors' Equity Association.

Kris Sidberry* (Vanessa) is ecstatic to be making her SpeakEasy debut. Boston-area credits include: Intimate Apparel and By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Lyric Stage Company); The Good Negro and Grimm (Company One); Uprising on King Street and The Nine Who Dared (Theatre Espresso). Regional: The High Priestess of Dark Alley (New Orleans). New York: All American Girls (Off-Broadway, National African American Theater Festival). She has also worked on various film, TV, voiceover, and commercial projects. Kris holds a BFA in Theater Performance from the University of Evansville and just completed the two-year Meisner conservatory at the prestigious Maggie Flanigan Studio. She would like to thank her friends and family for their continued support. www.krissidberry.com

Kathy St. George* (Helene). SpeakEasy: Violet; The Divine Sister (2012 Elliot Norton Award); Xanadu; Johnny Guitar; Ruthless!; and All About Election Eve. Broadway: two productions of Fiddler on the Roof, both directed by Jerome Robbins (1981 and 1991, Tony Award "Best Revival"). Off-Broadway: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, and five national tours. Other favorite credits include Dear Miss Garland; Light Up the Sky; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Pete 'n Keely; Das Barbecü (IRNE Award); And Now...Miss Judy Garland (IRNE Award); Peter Pan; 9 to 5; Nine; Follies. BS, MEd - Salem State University. Next: Mame at Stoneham Theatre.

Jared Troilo* (Will / Conrad / Tony) returns to SpeakEasy having previously appeared in Dogfight, Far From Heaven, and Jerry Springer - The Opera. Favorite New England credits include My Fair Lady (Lyric Stage Company-IRNE nominee); The Little Mermaid (Fiddlehead Theatre-IRNE nominee); Das Barbecü, The Drowsy Chaperone (Barnstormers Theatre); A Little Princess (Fiddlehead Theatre); West Side Story, Godspell, and LES MISERABLES (Palace Theatre, Manchester, NH); He received his BFA from The Boston Conservatory and is a proud member of AEA. Love to Mom, Dad, and Kira.

Photo Credit: Glenn Perry

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