Square One Theatre's Mass Appeal Opens This Weekend

Square One Theatre's 26th Season takes place at its NEW LOCATION on the stage of Stratford Academy at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut. Performances are Thursdays through Sundays beginning November 5 and continuing through November 22 (2015). Square One Theatre has re-configured Stratford Academy's expansive stage into an intimate 64-seat black box-type theatre.

The audience will actually be seated (new padded chairs) on the stage along with the actors, insuring that all patrons have a good seat to hear and see. With this redesigned, modern venue no audience member will be more than 15 feet from the stage. Mass Appeal focuses on the conflict between a complacent older Roman Catholic priest, Father Tim Farley, played by Milford's Frank Smith, and an idealistic young seminarian, Mark Dolson, played by Pelham, New York's Darius James Copland.

Father Farley is described as a prosperous, Mercedes-driving American priest much beloved by his flock for his ''tact'' and good humor. A master at delivering entertaining (but certainly unchallenging) sermons, Farley is also an agile parish politician who preserves his popularity by following the ''Nielsen ratings'' of the collection plate" (The New York Times). On the other hand, Mark Dolson is "a child of the 60's who is utterly contemptuous of Father Farley's ''song-and-dance theology.'' The young seminarian wants to be a priest precisely because he does believe that ''serious social and moral issues can be attended to from the pulpit'' (The New York Times). Frank Smith's Square One Theatre credits include Indian Blood, Rutherford & Son, The Best Man, Educating Rita, The Rainmaker, The Shop at Sly Corner, Changing Lives, Mastergate, Time of My Life, Jake's Women, The Good Doctor and Stratford Characters.

Area stage credits include It's A Wonderful Life (Stamford Center for the Arts), Aristocrats, Oleanna (Westport Community Theatre) and The Dining Room, The Fourposter (Eastbound) He is the recipient of such Square One Theatre Subscriber Awards as Outstanding Actor (Educating Rita) and Outstanding Featured Actor (Time of My Life, The Shop at Sly Corner, The Rainmaker). Darius James Copland was last seen in Good People, for which he received the Square One Theatre Subscriber Award for Outstanding Featured Actor. Additional area stage credits include Twelfth Night (Curtain Call), The Man Who Came to Dinner (Wilton Playshop), Mack and Mabel (Darien Arts Center) plus Intimate Apparel, The Wake of Jamey Foster, Teach Me How to Cry, Summer Brave (American Academy of Dramatic Arts). His New York theatre are Unbidden (The C.O.W., NY Fringe Festival) and The Art Lady (Samuel French Festival). Mass Appeal is staged by Tom Holehan, Square One Theatre Artistic Director.

Performances of MASS APPEAL are: Thursday, November 5 (2015) at 7pm Friday, November 6 at 8pm Saturday, November 7 at 4pm (twilight matinee) and 8pm Sunday, November 8 at 2pm (matinee) Thursday, November 12 (2015) at 7pm Friday, November 13 at 8pm Saturday, November 14 at 4pm (twilight matinee) and 8pm Sunday, November 15 at 2pm (matinee) Thursday, November 19 (2015) at 7pm Friday, November 20 at 8pm Saturday, November 21 at 4pm (twilight matinee) and 8pm Sunday, November 22 at 2pm (final performance) Backstage are Stratford's Kimberly Krol (stage manager), Don Henault (sound), Shelton's Greg Fairbend and Stratford's Robert Mastroni (scenery), Milford's Cliff Fava (lights), Gaetana Grinder and Kerry Lambert (costumes). All performances take place on the stage of Stratford Academy/Johnson House. The GPS setting is Square One Theatre at 719 Birdseye Street in Stratford, Connecticut, located off I-95 Exit 32 (northbound and southbound).

Tickets are: $20 for adult single tickets $19 for senior citizens & students Single tickets may be purchased: By phone: Box Office at 203.375.8778(24/7) Online at: squareonetheatre.com In person: at box office 60 minutes prior to each performance By mail: self-addressed, stamped envelope & check payable to Square One Theatre sent to Administrative Office; 656 Longbrook Avenue, Stratford, Ct 06614-5117

The Stratford Academy is wheelchair accessible and the theatre offers its patrons hearing-assisted listening devices as needed. Please inform the box office of any special needs when reserving tickets. For more information and up-to-date news about suggested parking, the theatre, the plays, the actors and seating chart visit squareonetheatre.com For further information call the theatre box office at 203.375.8778

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