Uptown Players to Present Regional Premiere of THE LYONS, 5/2-18

Uptown Players continues its 2014 season with the regional premiere of the Nicky Silver comedy, The Lyons. The production runs May 2 through May 18, 2014, at the Kalita Humphreys Theater.

The Lyons, a dark family comedy about a New York City clan with nothing but bitterness and damage to bind them, completed its Broadway run in 2012. The play opens in the hospital room where the Lyons family patriarch, Ben, will soon be expiring from cancer. The end has been coming for months, but Ben and his wife Rita haven't told their adult kids, partly because they didn't want to burden them and partly because they're emotionally stunted and as self-absorbed as your average Kardashian. Lisa, a single mom and a bit of a daddy's girl with a history of relationship drama gets to absorb the blow first, because their son Curtis, a gay writer who is full of dark secrets, is running late, per usual. Rita, whose briskly efficient manner masks a deep-seated, implacable hatred for the man she's been yoked to for 40 years, will deliver the news between criticisms of Lisa's wardrobe and inquiries about the right look for the living room she intends to redecorate as soon as Ben has kicked it.

The cast includes Terry Vandivort, Georgia Clinton, Austin Tindle, Kristen McCullough, Christopher Deaton, and Lisa Anne Haram and is under the direction of Bruce R. Coleman.

Called "hilariously frank, clear-sighted, compassionate and forgiving" by The New York Times, The Lyons is an outrageously funny and poignant new play about a family you will not forget.

The production runs May 2 through May 18, 2014, with shows at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays (no performance May 4). Performances take place at the Kalita Humphreys Theatre, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd (at Blackburn), Dallas, TX 75219. Tickets are $25-$40 and can be purchased online at www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at (214) 219-2718.

About Uptown Players: Now in its thirteenth season, Uptown Players has gathered a dedicated following with an annual audience base of over 15,000 patrons. The response from the community and critics has been remarkable, including more than 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League, hundreds of "The Column" Awards and 20 Theatre Critics Forum Awards in its first 12 seasons.

In recent years, its productions of Next To Normal and The Producers have made top 10 lists in The Dallas Morning News, the Dallas Voice, TheaterJones, and The Column online. Uptown Players has also been named the Best Theatre Company by the Dallas Voice Readers Awards, and the Dallas Observer, and has appeared on the WFAA-A list and Best of Big D - D Magazine. Uptown Players has been featured on Good Morning Texas and with Ron Corning on Daybreak on WFAA. Uptown Players is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, presenting plays and musicals that challenge audiences artistically, build cultural bridges, and strive to create greater positive public awareness and acceptance through the performing arts. There is no other theater group with this unique mission in the Dallas area.

Pictured: Ausitn Tindle, Georgia Clinton,Terry Vandivort, Kristen McCullough. Photo by Mike Morgan.

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