TALK OF THE TOWN: James Thurber's Years with Ross to Present Two Industry Readings This Month

ALK OF THE TOWN: James Thurber's Years with Ross, a new comedy by Mike Bencivenga will present two industry readings on Tuesday, May 16 at 3pm and 7pm.

TALK OF THE TOWN is adapted from James Thurber's memoir, 'The Years with Ross.' The play tells the story of the birth of The New Yorker magazine and its eccentric editor, Harold Ross, and chronicles the rise of James Thurber from the small-town Ohio newspaperman, to the world-famous humorist and cartoonist he became.

TALK OF THE TOWN was the 2023 Best Play Winner, ScreenCraft Play Competition, 2022 Best Play Winner - Austin Screenwriting Festival, and 2021 Audience Favorite Winner - 2021 Dayton FutureFest.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:

Mike Bencivenga is an award-winning writer/director/producer in theater, film and TV. He's written 10 full-length plays and is best known for his comedy BILLY & RAY, which won the W. Keith Hedrick award for Best Play and was produced in LA under the direction of the legendary Garry Marshall. The show moved to The Vineyard Theater in 2014, also directed by Mr. Marshall, where it enjoyed an extended, sold-out run. That same year Mike's political comedy, SUMMER ON FIRE, won the Christopher Wolk prize for excellence and in 2020 his drama, COMPROMISED, was named Best Play by Playwrights First and was a runner up for the O'Neill Prize. In film Mike has written and directed 2 indie features, LOSERS IN LOVE and HAPPY HOUR starring Anthony LaPaglia and Eric Stoltz, both of which won festival honors and had theatrical releases. Mike's also an Emmy award winning editor/producer at WABC-TV.

For more on Mike's work and career visit: www.MikeBencivenga.com

ABOUT THE CAST:

Adam Auslander (James Thurber) - A Ringling Bros trained clown, actor, award-winning short film maker has played Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and balanced a large cross on his chin as Jesus on "The Late Show" with Conan O'Brien.

Mickey Ryan (Harold Ross) - Original member of the US Gi60 one-minute play festival. Has appeared Off Broadway in Mother Courage at the Cocteau Rep and Israel Horovitz's Lebenstraum, among others

Allison Mackie (Katharine Angell) - Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac (Roxanne) with Frank Langella. Candida (u/s Prossy) with Joanne Woodward. Regional: Fallen Angels (Jasmine), The Constant Wife (Constance), Midsummer Night's Dream (Hermia). TV: "Law & Order", "L&O SVU", "Unforgettable", "The Affair", "The Big C", "Without A Trace", "Frasier", "ER". Film: Original Sin, Sliver, Gia, Those People. Currently shooting the untitled Jessica Lange/Kathy Bates film in Atlanta.

Jay Nickerson (E.B. White) Jay has worked onstage, Off-Broadway, on tour, on film, on television, in video games, and voice work. Onstage he has played imaginary people created by dead playwrights like Shakespeare, Shaw, Dickens, and Wilde and dead people like Clarence Darrow, Junius Brutus Booth, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Donald Rumsfeld (not dead, just soulless), Sinclair Lewis, and the disciple Matthew.

Joscelyne Wilmouth (Elsie/Phoebe/Helen) Joss received her BFA from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA and her MFA from Brooklyn College in NYC.

Scott Lowell (Wolcott Gibbs/Saxton) - Broadway & London:The Elephant Man. Regional: 12 Angry Men, Orson's Shadow, Present Laughter, Billy & Ray,The Big Meal; Blithe Spirit, The Pain and the Itch, The Heidi Chronicles. Chicago: Picasso At The Lapin Agile, Twelfth Night (Steppenwolf); Light Up The Sky (Goodman); Chicago Conspiracy Trial. A Perfect Ganesh. Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Assassins. Television: "Queer As Folk" (Prism Award nominations); "Bones", "CSI", "CSI:NY", "Castle" "NCIS", "Leverage", "Criminal Minds", "American Dad", "Frasier". Creator/Writer/Star of "Adoptable!"

Melissa Canaday (Narrator) - Member of The Drawing Board. Latest project, Avery in Learning To Land. Other theater: The Color of Vengeance at New Perspectives Theatre Company, 6A for The Wet Paint Festival, The Unremarkables for Wet Paint Festival.

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