Theatre 40 Play Readings at Greystone Mansion Starts in September

A series of play readings will be presented by Theatre 40 and the City of Beverly Hills at the new intimate Greystone Theatre at the beautiful and historic Greystone Mansion. Performances will be Wednesdays in September at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets are $10 for Beverly Hills residents and $15 for non-residents. Greystone Mansion is located at 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. There is ample free parking onsite. Reservations can be made at the link below, or call (310) 285-6830.

Readings feature the actors and directors of Theatre 40. Here's the schedule:

September 6: Balancing Act by Frank Salisbury. Balancing Act is about an accountant who plans to escape with a large amount of embezzled money, but is visited at his New York apartment on the eve of his planned departure by a shy once-young lady from his accounting department who suspects there may be foul play afoot and ostensibly seeks his advice. He comedically tries ever way he can think of to "keep her quiet" including escorting her to his bedroom. She ends up quite and satisfied and no one is the wiser.

September 13: The Firestorm by Meredith Friedman. Set in Ohio, Patrick Henderson is hot on the gubernatorial campaign trail with his Ivy League-educated, attorney wife, Gaby. He's white, she's Black. They're an interracial power couple who look good on paper and in photographs. But even in post-Obama America, their marriage is at once a selling point and a weak spot, according to their campaign manager, Leslie. To complicate things, Patrick wasn't the most open-minded fraternity brother during his college years, and a prank from his past doesn't just threaten his campaign, but also his marriage.

September 20: The Ice Cream Sunday by Frank Salisbury. Directed by Larry Eisenberg. In 1955, set on the grounds of the Massenet Estate, an actress is determined to celebrate her son's 25th birthday, while her husband is intent on introducing her to his mistress. Salisbury's farcical and irreverent comedy is a melange of mistaken identities, promiscuity and exaggerated personalities, reminiscent of madcap comedies of the l930s.

September 27: Beatnik Girl by Leda Siskind. Directed by Leda Siskind. It's 1957 New York and the Beat Generation is creating new poetry, jazz, and art on the Lower East Side. It's exactly where twenty-two year old Edie Gordon wants to be. But can she find her creative voice while she struggles with misogyny, antisemitism, and an unwanted pregnancy?

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