George Washington's Teeth Opens at Florida Repertory Theatre Today

Florida Repertory Theatre will present an audio described performance on May 9 at 2 PM of Mark St. Germain's "George Washington's Teeth" and a signed performance on May 13 at 2 PM.

The May 9 audio-described performance for visually-impaired patrons will be narrated once again by local actor Stephen Hooper, who audio described this season's "The Miracle Worker" and "Cabaret."

Two interpreters from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center of Fort Myers will sign the May 13 matinee of George Washington's Teeth at 2 PM.

"George Washington's Teeth" is a hilarious comedy that follows the exploits of the women of the beleaguered New Bunion Historical Society as they battle the male-dominated city council to keep the doors open. With time running out to renew their lease, the ladies must find creative ways to snare new members and lure visitors to their sleepy, New England town. When a set of George Washington's dentures turns up in the hands of an unexpected rival, the ladies of the Society brace themselves for all-out war. Heartfelt and historic, this new farce proves that our differences don't divide us, they make us strong.

Florida Rep audiences will recognize St. Germain from previous hits, "Camping with Henry and Tom," which opened the then newly-renovated ArtStage Studio Theatre in 2012, and "Best of Enemies" last fall. St. Germain joined Florida Rep earlier this year for a developmental workshop before the play begins its rehearsals in March 2018.

"George Washington's Teeth" features a cast of five women - something rare in the canon of American plays, and that was by design. "Once you grow past the ingenue stage, it is progressively more difficult to get a good role as an actress," St. Germain said. "It's only because the opportunities aren't always there - how many plays can you think of with an all-male cast, then count how many plays are made up of all women? I wanted to do a play where women from all ages powered the play."

Florida Rep ensemble members Viki Boyle ("The Miracle Worker") and Carrie Lund ("How the Other Half Loves") return to the Florida Rep stage for the farce, and are joined by familiar guest artist Liz Abbott ("Veronica's Room"), as well as award-winning TV and theatre veteran Patricia R. Floyd (Florida Rep debut), and Carbonell Award nominee Jackie Rivera (Florida Rep debut).

New York-based award-winning filmmaker and international theatre veteran, Abigail Zealey Bess, directs the production and comes to Florida Rep after numerous projects at Ensemble Studio Theatre, SoHo Repertory Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Edinburgh Festival, Young Vic, and Strand Theatre, London.

Bess is joined by ensemble set designer Jim Hunter ("The Miracle Worker"), costume designer Alice Neff ("The Last Night of Ballyhoo"), lighting designer Annmarie Duggan (Florida Rep debut), sound designer John Kiselica ("Cabaret"), and production stage manager Amy L. Massari ("Night and Day").

"George Washington's Teeth" is generously sponsored by WGCU Public Media.

The audio-described performance will be held on Wednesday, May at 2 PM while the signed performance will be on Sunday, May 13 at 2 PM.

"George Washington's Teeth" plays in the Historic Arcade Theatre April 27 to May 13, 2018, with four discounted previews April 24-26. Regular performances Tuesday-Thursday at 7 PM, Friday-Saturday at 8 PM, and 2 PM matinees on Thursday, Sunday, and selected Saturdays.

Priced at $55 and $45 for regular performances, $35 and $25 for previews. Subscriptions are on sale now and offer the best seats at the biggest savings. Single tickets are on sale now through the box office at 239-332-4488 and online at www.floridarep.org.

Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry with limited free parking in the Fort Myers River District. Visit Florida Rep online at FloridaRep.org, and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

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