Didi Conn, Donny Most, Loretta Swit & Adrian Zmed to Star in MIDDLETOWN at Actors' Playhouse

Actors' Playhouse, together with GFOUR Productions, producers of MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL and Tony-nominated THE INHERITANCE and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, today announced that they will co-produce their new play MIDDLETOWN from November 17 to December 12, 2021 at the Miracle Theatre. The cast will star Didi Conn, known for her portrayal of Frenchy in GREASE; Donny Most, who starred as Ralph Malph in HAPPY DAYS; Loretta Swit, best known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H, for which she won two Emmy Awards; and Adrian Zmed, best known for his starring roles in the BACHELOR PARTY, GREASE 2 and TV's T.J. HOOKER. Tickets are now on sale through the Actors' Playhouse box office at ActorsPlayhouse.org.

"This is something of a homecoming because as a South Florida-based production company, we first saw a reading of MIDDLETOWN at the Jan McArt reading series and fell instantly in love with it. We knew we wanted to produce this locally with Actors' Playhouse, but we wanted to do some road testing before bringing it home. Usually, it's the other way around but this play means a great deal to us and we wanted things to be just right. After all we've collectively been through in the past two years, a play about appreciating the moments we have together does indeed feel just right," said Seth Greenleaf, Artistic Director of GFOUR Productions.

"I'm excited about the collaboration, two South Florida producing companies, a South Florida playwright in Dan Clancy, a beautiful, funny and heartwarming story and the opportunity to assemble four amazing celebrity actors who as performers bring their own individual journeys in life to this remarkable new play. What a great way to bring audiences back to the Miracle theatre and Actors' Playhouse," said Actors' Playhouse Artistic Director David Arisco.

An exhilarating and universal depiction of love and friendship, MIDDLETOWN follows the story of two couples who endure the roller coaster of life together, including the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Staged without a set or props, the stars read directly from scripts, as if reading from the book of their own lives - and ours.

"I wanted to tell a relatable 'every-person's' story in a direct and straightforward manner where human emotions are front and center - without bells, whistles, special effects, or props," said writer Dan Clancy, best known for his play THE TIMEKEEPERS, which ran off-Broadway and in Israel for 13 years. "I wanted the words to speak for themselves."

In 2020, MIDDLETOWN opened in Atlanta and Chicago to critical acclaim, and was selected as a Chicago Tribune Critic's Pick. Previously, it received a Carbonell nomination for "Best New Work" in 2017, was originally presented at the Jan McArt Reading Series and West Boca Theatre Company, and later performed in Las Vegas, Bucks County, Pa., and Wilmington, Del.

As the New Hope Free Press describes, "Like Love Letters, the play's the thing!" The show has four podiums downstage where the actors stand with scripts before them. ... For all intents and purposes, this is just the actor telling you their stories with no blocking. This only works if the stories are worth telling and the actors are good enough to tell them. And the answer is a resounding YES!"

Tickets start at $55 and may be purchased at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL), by phone at (305) 444-9293 ext. 1 or online at ActorsPlayhouse.org. Visit the website for a full performance schedule including talkbacks (to be announced soon).

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