Good Theater Announces 11th Season: GOOD PEOPLE, 4000 MILES and More

Good Theater, the professional company in residence at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, is gearing up for its 11th season of plays and musicals.  Artistic Director Brian P. Allen calls this, “a season of firsts with two Maine premieres, a New England premiere and an East Coast premiere.  Plus we’ve added a very special kick off event with a major Broadway star.”
 
An Evening with Florence Lacey will launch the company’s season on October 6 & 7.  The event will feature Theatre World Award winner, Lacey singing songs from her illustrious career, sharing stories and gossip with Allen who will act as host for the evening.  The event will be a cross between Inside the Actors’ Studio and the old Merv Griffin Show according to Allen.  Ms. Lacey has starred on Broadway in Evita, Les Miserables, Hello Dolly, The Grand Tour and more.  She holds the world’s record for playing more performances of the title role in Evita than anyone having performed the show on Broadway, national tour and several international tours.  Audiences can expect to hear numbers from all of Ms. Lacey’s Broadway appearances.  Tickets are $30 and there is a performance at 7:30 on Saturday the 6th and one at 2:00 on Sunday the 7th.
 
Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire opens October 10 and runs through November 4.  This play received a 2011 Tony Award nomination for Best Play and will be making its Maine premiere at Good Theater.  Set in Boston’s Southie neighborhood, where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo, where this month’s paycheck covers last month’s bills, we meet Margaret, who is facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break. When a friend from the old neighborhood, who is now very successful, moves back to town, Margaret hopes he may be the ticket to turning her life around.  Good People stars Denise Poirier, James Noel Hoban, Noelle LuSane, Jesse Leighton, Suzanne Rankin and Amy Roche.
 
Following Good People will be the Maine premiere of Striking 12, a musical. Striking 12 is a perfect alternative to standard holiday fare. On New Year’s Eve, an over- worked and under-inspired single guy who’s had enough of holiday cheer makes a resolution: to stay home and go to bed early. On another New Year’s Eve, a continent away - and more than a century earlier - Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Match Girl tries unsuccessfully to sell her matches in the snow. When these two stories intertwine, magical events happen.  Featuring a cast of 12, Striking 12 opens November 14 and plays through December 9.  The show stars Kelly Caufield and Ryan Duncan who was one of the original Atlar Boyz in NYC and was featured in the Broadway production of Shrek, the musical.
 
Death By Design, a comedy with murder by Rob Urbinati makes its East Coast debut on January 30 running through February 24.  Death By Design is Noel Coward meets Agatha Christie. A warring couple of London’s theatre retreat to their country home for the weekend. Guests arrive and havoc reigns in this delightful new whodunnit!  The eight-member cast features Rob Cameron, Abigail Killeen, Susan Reilly, Benjamin Row, Janice Garder, Matthew Delamater, Paul Haley and Kat Moraros.  The playwright will be in residence for the opening.  Death By Design will get a NYC staging later next year. 
 
Recently added to the Good Theater schedule is the New England premiere of the acclaimed 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog playing March 6-30.  4000 Miles concluded its off-Broadway run in June after winning a number of awards including the Obie Award for Best New American Play. After suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, 21 year-old Leo seeks solace from his feisty 91 year- old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment. Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. 4000 Miles looks at how two outsiders find their way in today’s world.  4000 Miles will be directed by Good Theater co-founder Stephen Underwood.  
 
Rounding out the Good Theater season is A.R. Gurney’s Ancestral Voices April 3-14. Ancestral Voices is a sweet, funny snapshot of Americana, endearingly told through the eyes of a child. From the Portland Press Herald, “Good Theater has embraced the wit and warmth of A.R. Gurney’s play, delivering a production heartwarming from start to finish.” Back by popular demand!  Starring Brian P. Allen, Bob McCormack, Lee K. Paige, Jocelyn Lavin Pollard and Stephen Underwood.
 
Season tickets for Good Theater are available and start at $55 for four productions.  More information can be found on the Good Theater website www.goodtheater.com.  Patrons may also call the Good Theater box office at 207-885-5883.