MRS. MANNERLY to Open 10/11 at TheaterWorks

From the author of Ella: Off the Record comes Mrs. Mannerly by Jeffrey Hatcher. The irreverent and clever comedy will run at TheaterWorks in Downtown Hartford, October 11 through November 17, 2013.

In the cutthroat world of folded napkins, ballroom dancing, poise, grace, and the proper placement of forks and spoons - Mrs. Mannerly has been the despotic ruler of her etiquette class for decades, where no student has ever achieved a perfect score. But when young Jeffrey discovers her secret past, he becomes determined to be the first. Inspired by hilarious memories of his childhood, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher perfectly conjures up the uniquely candid world of a ten-year old. This irreverent comic tale reveals truths about the face we present and our truer selves. Adding to the fun - Jeffrey is played by a grown man!

Producing Artistic Director, Rob Ruggiero is thrilled to invite acclaimed Director, Ed Stern to Hartford to direct this delightful, insightful comedic romp. Stage veterans Dale Hodges and Raymond McAnally reprise their roles as Mrs. Mannerly and Jeffrey in award winning performances called impeccable, hysterical and ingenious.

The production design team includes Brian Mehring (Sets), Rebecca Senske(Costumes), John Lasiter (Lights), Matthew Callahan (Sound), and Kelly Yurko (Wig). Production Manager is Michael Lenaghan.
Press:
"MRS. MANNERLY is a hilarious comedy narrated by Hatcher recounting his experiences studying manners and etiquette as a ten-year-old as taught by a very demanding and controlling teacher. Hatcher's brilliance as a master storyteller richly entertains us all along the way...a thousand laughs...It will have you rolling in the aisles laughing uncontrollably and hysterically. MRS. MANNERLY is the most ingenious and hilarious new play of the new year."

Mrs. Mannerly runs October 11 through November 17, 2013, playing Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 7:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays: 8:00 p.m. Weekend Matinees: 2:30 p.m. PRESS / OPENING NIGHT is Friday, October 18 at 8:00pm at The Lobby and Gallery of American Art, sponsored by The Hartford Financial Services Group, opens 90 minutes prior to curtain; seating starts 60 minutes prior. TheaterWorks is located at City Arts on Pearl - 233 Pearl Street in Downtown Hartford. Parking: Discounted parking is available to TheaterWorks' patrons for $5 atCityPlace Garage (diagonally up Pearl Street from TheaterWorks).

Admission: All Seats - General Admission $50 / $40; Senior Discount - Saturday matinees: $35; Center Reserved Service Charge $15; College-age Student Rush w/ ID $15 (subject to availability). PAY WHAT YOU CAN WEDNESDAY: October 16. TALK BACK TUESDAYS: October 22, 29 and Nov. 5, 12. ALL FREE Student Matinee: Saturday November 2 @2:30. For seats call (860) 527-7838. Mrs. Mannerly is the first play of TheaterWorks' 2013 - 2014 Season. For more information, visit www.theaterworkshartford.org.

BIOS:

Dale Hodges (Mrs. Mannerly) is delighted to make her debut at TheaterWorks in this charming play. She joined Actors? Equity in 1974 and while living in New York appeared in companies of Equus, Benefactors, Top Girls, Life Class and A Woman in Mind, toured with Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach in Absent Friends and traveled to regional theaters around the country. Since moving to Cincinnati in 1988, Dale has worked regularly at the Cincinnati Playhouse, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and the Ensemble Theater - where she and Ray McAnally first performed Mrs.Mannerly last October. Favorite roles include: Vivian Bearing in Wit, Big Edie in GreyGardens, Sarah the Lizard in Seascape, Mary Tyrone in Long Day?s Journey into Night, Gertie in 33 Variations, The Fool in King Lear and, most recently, Silda in Other Desert Cities. She is married to counselor David Logan and has a son Sebastian and stepson High. Thanks to Ed and Rob for making this possible.

Raymond McAnally (Jeffrey) Regional: Mrs. Mannerly (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati), The Foreigner (Cincinnati Playhouse) Mere Mortals, Two River; A Midsummer Night?s Dream (Long Wharf) and others. Broadway National Tours: Defending the Caveman (One Man Show). Off-Broadway: God?s Ear(original cast), The Vineyard Theatre & New Georges. TV: Law & Order SVU, 30 Rock, Royal Pains, Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, Lights Outand others. Film: Compliance (Sundance?12); I Don?t Know How She Does It(Weinstein Co), Ghost Town (DreamWorks), Gods Behaving Badly. Awards: Best Lead Actor ?12/?13, League of Cincinnati Theatres; Outstanding Supporting Performance ?08/?09, Acclaim Award of Cincinnati. MFA from Rutgers University. BA from Sewanee. Member of AEA, AFTRA, and SAG. www.raymondmcanally.com

Ed Stern (Director) Up until a year ago Ed was Producing Artistic Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. During his twenty year tenure he premiered dozens of new works and secured for The Playhouse two Tony Awards (2004 Regional Theatre of the Year and 2007 Best Musical Revival for Company which transferred from The Playhouse to Broadway). Shows he directed at The Playhouse included Othello, Sweeney Todd, God of Carnage, Our Country's Good, As You Like It, and many others. Ed has also directed at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, San Jose Repertory, Cleveland Play House, and many others. Back in the 1970?s he was co-founder and Artistic Director of Indiana Repertory Theatre. He was on the directing faculty at Rutgers University and taught at the William Esper Acting Studio in New York. He is married to Anne Ward and has two sons, Robert and Ward

Jeffrey Hatcher (playwright) Broadway credits include: Never Gonna Dance (book). Off- Broadway credits include: Three Viewings and A Picasso at Manhattan Theatre Club;Scotland Road and The Turn of the Screw at Primary Stages; Tuesdays with Morrie (with Mitch Albom) at The Minetta Lane; Murder by Poe, The Turn of the Screw, and The Spy at The Acting Company; Neddy at American Place; and Fellow Travelers at Manhattan Punchline. Other credits/theaters include: Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers, Mercy of a Storm, Smash, Armadale, All the Way With LBJ, The Government Inspector, Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and others at The Guthrie, Old Globe, Yale Rep, TheGeffen, Seattle Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Playhouse, South Coast Rep, OregonShakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Repertory Theater of St. Louis, Actors Theater of Louisville, Philadelphia Theater Company, Asolo, City Theater, Studio Arena and dozens more in the U.S. and abroad. Film and Television credits include:Stage Beauty, Casanova, The Duchess, and episodes of Columbo. Grants/Awards: NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and Barrymore Award Best New Play, IVEY Award Best New Play.

Rob Ruggiero (Producing Artistic Director) has been associated with TheaterWorks since 1993 where he has directed almost fifty shows, including the recent productions of Time Stands Still, Venus In Fur, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (Broadway World Award), and The Understudy. At TheaterWorks he also conceived, developed and directed Ella, which has played major regional theaters nationwide since 2005. On Broadway, Rob directed HIGH (starring Kathleen Turner) and Looped (starring Valerie Harper in a Tony Award nominated performance). Rob recently launched the national tour of Looped starring Stephanie Powers. Off-Broadway he directed All Under Heaven (also starring Ms. Harper), as well as conceiving and directing the original musical revue Make Me a Song: The Music of William Finn (Drama Desk/Outer Critics Circle Nominations). Rob has been recognized nationally for directing both plays and musicals. His work has been seen at major regional theaters around the country, including: Actor?s Theater of Louisville, Barrington Stage Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Guthrie Theater, Hartford Stage, The Pittsburgh Public Theater, and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis among others. Rob recently directed the critically acclaimed revival of Carousel whichearned multiple Broadway World Awards. This was his sixth collaboration with Goodspeed, where he also directed highly successful productions of Annie Get Your Gun, Camelot, Big River, 1776 and a recent revival of Show Boat which garnered him his fifth Connecticut Critics? Circle Award for best direction. This "new" version is now being licensed by the R&H Organization. Rob is currently directing a revival of The Most Happy Fella for Goodspeed and will next direct a world premiere holiday play at TheaterWorks. www.robruggiero.com

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