Uproarious Comedy RIPCORD by David Lindsay-Abaire Begins Friday 5/26
By: A.A. Cristi May. 01, 2017
"With Ripcord, we welcome back two comedic geniuses to the Huntington: Boston native David Lindsay-Abaire and Jessica Stone," says Huntington Artistic Director Peter DuBois. "David is among the greatest playwrights ever to come out of the City of Boston and the author of our smash-hit about Southie, Good People. Jessica Stone is a lauded actress and the director of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. With this kind of genius at work, it is no surprise that this play is laugh-out-loud funny with a truly moving underbelly. It's The Odd Couple with old women, nursing home shenanigans, and skydiving - what's not to love?"
In this deliciously inappropriate new comedy, cantankerous Abby is forced to share her room in assisted living with endlessly chipper Marilyn. The two women make a seemingly harmless bet that quickly escalates into a dangerous and hilarious game of one-upmanship, revealing hidden truths that neither wants exposed.
"I'm thrilled to be back in my hometown, and back at the Huntington which has been my theatrical home in Boston," says playwright David Lindsay-Abaire. "I'm especially excited that Huntington audiences are going to get to see Ripcord, which is another kind of homecoming for me, as it's a return to my earlier style of playwriting - more overtly comic, outrageous, whimsical, and a little vicious. But most importantly, of all my plays, Ripcord is my mother's favorite, so I'm happy that she'll only have to travel a few T stops to see it."
"I'm so excited to be jumping into the absurd and moving world of David Lindsay-Abaire," says director Jessica Stone. "The Huntington and Boston both have ties to this artist and his unique perspective. I look forward to creating my own and to the discoveries that follow and to being back at the Huntington where some of my favorite theatrical experiences have taken shape."
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
The cast includes Nancy E. Carroll (I Was Most Alive with You; Rapture, Blister, Burn; and Good People at the Huntington) as Abby, a short-tempered woman who is determined not to share a room at her assisted living facility. Despite her efforts, she is paired with the gregarious and optimistic Marilyn played by Annie Golden ("Orange is the New Black" and the film Hair). Marilyn's daughter Colleen is played by Laura Latreille (Ryan Landry's "M" and Mauritius at the Huntington) and her son-in-law Derek is played by Richard Prioleau (A Raisin in the Sun at Seattle Repertory Theatre). Eric T. Miller (Awake and Sing! at the Huntington) appears as a figure from one of the women's past, and the young resident aid Scotty is played by Ugo Chukwu (The Bad and the Better at The Amoralists).
David Lindsay-Abaire (Playwright) is a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and librettist. His plays Good People and Rabbit Hole have both been produced at the Huntington. Rabbit Hole was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, five Tony Award nominations, and the Spirit of America Award. Good People premiered on Broadway and received two Tony Award nominations and the 2011 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play of the Year. Most recently, his production of Ripcord was produced at Manhattan Theatre Club. Other plays include Fuddy Meers, Kimberly Akimbo, Wonder of the World, and A Devil Inside. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire is also a screenwriter, lyricist, and librettist. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award and two Tony Awards (Best Score and Best Book of a Musical) for his work on Shrek the Musical and the Kleban Award as America's most promising musical theatre lyricist. Mr. Lindsay-Abaire's screen credits include the film adaptation of Rabbit Hole (starring Nicole Kidman, Academy Award nomination), Rise of the Guardians (Dreamworks), and Oz: The Great and Powerful (Disney).
Jessica Stone (Director) returns to the Huntington after directing Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike, based on Nicholas Martin's Broadway direction. She has worked as an actress on Broadway and Off Broadway, and in television and film, for the last 25 years. She performed in the Huntington's productions of She Loves Me, Betty's Summer Vacation, and Springtime for Henry (director Nicholas Martin). Ms. Stone's directing credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Two River Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Bucks County Playhouse), Arms and the Man (The Old Globe), Absurd Person Singular (Two River Theater), Charlotte's Web (TheatreWorksUSA), and June Moon and Last of the Red Hot Lovers (Williamstown Theatre Festival).
The Huntington's production of Ripcord features scenic design by Tobin Ost (Newsies on Broadway); costume design by Gabriel Berry (Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike at the Huntington); lighting design by David J. Weiner (Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike, Butley, and Springtime for Henry at the Huntington); sound design and composition by Mark Bennett (A Confederacy of Dunces and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Huntington); and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon (I Was Most Alive with You at the Huntington). Production stage manager is Emily F. McMullen and stage manager is Kevin Schlagle.
The Huntington's 2016-2017 season is sponsored through the generosity of Sheryl and Gerard Cohen, Carol G. Deane, and J. David Wimberly. The production sponsors for Ripcord are Bette and John Cohen.
ABOUT THE Huntington Theatre Company
Celebrating its 35th season, the Huntington Theatre Company is Boston's leading professional theatre and one of the region's premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, the Huntington brings together superb local and national talent and produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions. The Huntington runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. The Huntington has long been an anchor cultural institution of Huntington Avenue, the Avenue of the Arts, and will remain so on a permanent basis with plans to convert our current theatre into a first-rate, modern venue with expanded services to audiences, artists, and the community. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter DuBois and Managing Director Michael Maso, the Huntington cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form. For more information, visit huntingtontheatre.org.
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