Bobby Steggert, Paul Anthony Stewart and More Set for Westport Country Playhouse's HARBOR

Westport Country Playhouse will stage the world premiere of a new comedy, "Harbor," written by two-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin and directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, August 28 – September 15. The cast includes Tony Award nominee Bobby Steggert (Broadway's "Ragtime"), Emmy Award nominee Paul Anthony Stewart ("Guiding Light"), Kate Nowlin and Alexis Molnar.

"Chad Beguelin's play boasts beautifully observed comic writing about a very human, very dysfunctional, very loving family," said Lamos. "I'm excited to be directing this world premiere because it is completely of-the-moment in its depiction of how the idea of 'family' is changing on a daily basis."

"Harbor" opens with Ted and Kevin, who have been together for 10 years, in their picture perfect house in Sag Harbor. When Kevin's ne'er-do-well sister Donna, whom he hasn't seen in years, and her 15-year-old daughter arrive out of the blue, the pair's idyllic life changes and tensions quickly bubble to the surface. The bonds between kith and kin are tested in this alternately biting, touching and hilarious new comedy about the constantly shifting nature of the meaning of family.

Lamos added, "It's funny, it's so true, it's unusual. These characters are not like anybody you've ever met and yet you totally buy them."

Bobby Steggert (Kevin) appeared on Broadway in "Ragtime" (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League award nominations), "110 in the Shade" (Outer Critics Circle Award nomination), and "Master Harold…and the Boys." Off-Broadway, he was in "The Grand Manner," directed by Mark Lamos; "Yank!" (Drama Desk, Drama League award nominations); and "The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island" (Drama Desk, Drama League award nominations). Upcoming work includes "Giant" at The Public Theater. On television he played a year as Sam Grey on "All My Children."

Paul Anthony Stewart (Ted) appeared last season at Westport Country Playhouse in "Twelfth Night." On Broadway, he was in "The People in the Picture," "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Cyrano." Regional theater credits include "The Last Five Years" (Berkshire Theatre Festival), "Funny Girl" (Drury Lane, Chicago), "Hello Again" (LA premiere), "Pera Palas" (Long Wharf Theatre), and "Children of Eden" (American premiere). On television he played Danny Santos on "Guiding Light," for which he received an Emmy Award nomination.

Kate Nowlin will portray Donna. On the New York stage she appeared at the Atlantic Theatre and Second Stage, among other venues. Regionally, her theater credits includes "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Shakespeare Theatre Washington, D.C., for which she received a Helen Hayes Award nomination, and "Anthony and Cleopatra" at Guthrie Theater, both directed by Mark Lamos. Her film credits include "The Adjustment Bureau"; on television she appeared in "Pan Am" and "The Black Donnellys."

Alexis Molar (Lottie) performed with RADA, Joe's Pub, Le Poisson Rouge, and The GBS Players. On television, she appeared in "The Next Big Thing" (Oxygen), "Electric Company" (PBS), and "Danger Dawgz" (MTV). A high school senior, she trained with RADA London and Second City Chicago.

Playwright Chad Beguelin is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his work on the Broadway musical "The Wedding Singer" (Tony Award nomination for Best Book and Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Lyrics). He wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical "Elf," which broke several box office records at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. He also wrote the book and lyrics for "Judas & Me" (NYMF Award for Excellence in Lyric Writing), and wrote the book for Disney's stage version of "Aladdin." He is the recipient of the Edward Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyric Writing, the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theater Award, and the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award.

Director Mark Lamos, who also serves as Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, has helmed Playhouse productions of "Into the Woods"; "Twelfth Night"; "Lips Together, Teeth Apart"; "Happy Days"; "She Loves Me"; "The Breath of Life"; "That Championship Season"; and "Of Mice and Men." His extensive New York credits include "Our Country's Good," for which he received a Tony Award nomination. A former artistic director at Hartford Stage, he received the 1989 Tony Award for the theater's body of work.

The design and production team includes Andrew Jackness (Westport Country Playhouse's "Lips Together, Teeth Apart"; Broadway's "Bye Bye Birdie," "The Scarlet Pimpernel," "The Little Foxes," "Wings," "Grownups, "Beyond Therapy"), scenic design; Candice Donnelly (Westport Country Playhouse's "Into the Woods"; "Lips Together, Teeth Apart"; "She Loves Me"; Broadway's "Our Country's Good," "Fences," "Hughie," "Mastergate"), costume design; Japhy Weideman (Westport Country Playhouse's "Old Wicked Songs," Off-Broadway's "Jack Goes Boating" (Drama Desk/Lortel award nominations), "Frankenstein" (Drama Desk Award nomination), lighting design; John Gromada (Westport Country Playhouse's "Twelfth Night"; "Lips Together, Teeth Apart"; "Beyond Therapy"; "Of Mice and Men"; Broadway's "The Columnist," "Clybourne Park," "Gore Vidal's The Best Man"), sound design; Tara Rubin Casting; Matthew Melchiorre, production stage manager; and Christine D'Amore, assistant stage manager.

Playing from August 28 – September 15, the performance schedule for "Harbor" is Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Special series feature Taste of Tuesday, Previews, LGBT Night OUT, Opening Night, Thursday TalkBack, Together at the Table Family Dinner, Playhouse Young Professionals, and Backstage Pass. A Sunday Symposium with the playwright Chad Beguelin will be presented on Sunday, September 2, following the 3 p.m. matinee performance. "Books Worth Talking About," a pre-show discussion on prevalent themes in "Harbor," will be presented on Wednesday, August 29, 6:30 p.m. In addition, The Playhouse will offer an open-captioned performance on Sunday, September 9, 3 p.m., for the hearing impaired.

The comedy is recommended for ages 16 and up.

Photo credit: Kat Gloor

 

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