A Staged Reading Of QUITTING TIME To Be Performed 2/15

Playhouse on the Green, a 54-year-old not-for-profit theater company in residence at a beautiful 228-seat jewel-box theater in the heart of downtown Bridgeport, presents a staged reading of Quitting Time, a new dramatic play by Jack Rushen, on Sunday, February 15 at 7PM. The reading is part of the "Page to Stage" New Play Reading Series, an ongoing Playhouse program that supports Connecticut playwrights and introduces audiences to their latest creations. An audience talkback with Rushen moderated by "Page to Stage" Series curator Mark S. Graham takes place following the reading.

The cast includes Bob Adrian of New York City, Frank Piazza of Bridgeport, Guy A. Fortte of Bridgeport, Richard Weidlich of Greenwich, and Cindy Hannah of Wilton. Mark S. Graham directs.

Quitting Time is the story of Charlie Valesky, a sixty-year-old foreman in a helicopter factory. As his company waits for a stalled government contract, Charlie may lose his job. His workers don't respect him, retirement age is looming, and he is haunted by the memory of his only son who was killed in the World Trade Center. After his wife dies, Charlie's one desperate need is to hold on to his job. As intense feelings of anxiety haunt him, the play asks the question "Will Charlie ever find peace?" Quitting Time examines the fragility of the "American Dream", the desperate need we all have for respect, and the powerless feeling of trying in vain to make sense of tragedies we can do very little about.

This is a free reading, with a suggested contribution of $10. Seating is on a first come, first served basis; no reservations necessary. Playhouse on the Green is located at 177 State Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut, 06604. Free parking is nearby. For information, please visit the newly redesigned website www.playhouseonthegreen.org.

The next entry in the "Page to Stage" New Play Reading Series takes place Sunday, March 22 at 7PM, when short one-acts with a "blizzard" theme by the SquareWrights of Stratford will be presented in staged readings.

JACK RUSHEN celebrates his 25th year in show business this year, working in clubs, stage, television, and film. Jack is a member of the Emerging Artists Theatre in New York City, where several of his comedies and dramas have been produced. Recent projects include the short films Temporary Help and Disconnected, and his first feature film, Among Friends, is to be shot in the fall of 2009. Awards include first place at the Georgia Theatre Conference for his play Testimonial, first place at the Milford Arts Festival for The Crossing, a finalist in the "Arts and Letters Prize" at Georgia State University, and many others. Film writing awards include the New York Film Festival, Columbus Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival, to name just a few.

MARK S. GRAHAM is a board member of Playhouse on the Green and curator of the "Page to Stage" series. He has directed over 75 plays and musicals including John O'Hern's Rooster in the Henhouse on Theater Row and Elizabeth Fuller's Me and Jezebel at The Actor's Playhouse in New York City. He staged productions of Rooster at The Fairfield Theater Co. and The Public Theater in Maine. He has produced and directed Me and Jezebel in productions across the country including a production in Florida starring Jim Bailey. He has directed and produced with Scott Robbins Stan Lachow's Harry and Thelma in The Woods in readings with Rue McClanahan in New York City, and productions at The New Jersey Rep and the Hollywood Playhouse in Florida. He staged a musical version of Dark of the Moon narrated by Werner Klemperer at The Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. At the Quick Center at Fairfield University, he directed Barbara Schottenfeld's Schottensongs and The Kindness of Strangers, an evening of Tennessee Williams one-act plays and writings with music that was developed at the Theater Artist's Workshop. At Playhouse on the Green he directed two musical revues - 100 Years of Broadway and Home for the Holidays - as well as John O'Hern's comedy Sweetspot. For 10 years he was partners with the late Tony Award winning producer Lester Osterman. He was general manager of Lucille Lortel's White Barn Theater in Westport, CT. Mark has an MFA in directing from the University of Connecticut and is a former board member of Westport Country Playhouse and current president of the Theater Artist's Workshop. He is founder and managing director of graygraham, a Westport based relationship marketing and advertising group.

 

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