Florida Rep's Acclaimed 'Sylvia' Onstage At Big Arts

Florida Rep's Nationally Acclaimed SYLVIA onstage at BIG ARTS

Florida Repertory Theatre announced that its nationally celebrated production of Sylvia, recently praised by The Wall Street Journal, will be performed at Sanibel Island's BIG ARTS this Thursday, Feb. 3, at 8pm.

During its January run, acclaimed drama critic and best-selling author, Terry Teachout, called the production "both clever and cute in all the right ways."

"This is now the third production we've moved to the Island as part of BIG ARTS' Live Theatre Series, and we couldn't be happier with this partnership," said Florida Rep Producing Artistic Director, Robert Cacioppo. "We were fortunate to have been singled out again this year by The Wall Street Journal, and because of that, the demand for tickets was unprecedented. So we're pleased to bring this particular production to Sanibel for a very enthusiastic audience."

A.R. Gurney's Sylvia is a witty and intelligent comedy about a husband facing a mid-life crisis, a career-driven wife, and the street-smart mutt who puts their marriage in the doghouse. The play premiered in 1995 starring Sarah Jessica Parker, and according to Mr. Teachout's recent review, "has long since become a regional theatre staple." He went on to say that "not only is Sylvia one of the funniest small-cast plays of the past quarter century, but just beneath the surface it has serious things to say...Moreover, Mr. Gurney says them so amusingly that you almost fail to notice the sharp bite of the medicine of truth."

Sylvia brings together a true all-star Florida Rep cast that includes Michelle Damato in the title role, Carrie Lund, Chris Clavelli and, after a 10-year absence, Gordon McConnell. In his review, Mr. Teachout spoke of Florida Rep's ensemble saying, "here as in the two previous Florida Rep shows I've seen, you get the feeling that you're watching a permanent ensemble at work on stage, one whose members know and trust one another."

Maureen Heffernan, a regular guest artist at Florida Rep, directed the production and was joined by Ray Recht (set designer), Matthew McCarthy (lighting designer) and Roberta Malcolm (costume designer) - the same creative team she worked with on last season's Opus (performed at BIG ARTS) and another of Florida Rep's nationally acclaimed productions, Dancing at Lughnasa in 2009. Joining the team are Amy L. Massari (production stage manager) and Florida Rep's resident sound designer, Kate Smith.

The encore presentation of Florida Rep's Sylvia by A.R. Gurney will be held in the Schein Performance Hall at the BIG ARTS Center, located at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, Florida - between City Hall and the Historical Museum.

Tickets are priced at $36 ($15 for students), and are available through the BIG ARTS box office at 239-395-0900. Box office hours are 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 1pm on Saturday, and an hour before curtain.

Teachout closed his review of Sylvia saying that "it's easy for regional theatergoers to assume that to see the really good stuff onstage, you have to go to New York. But after three visits, I feel secure in saying that Florida Rep is one of America's top repertory companies, a troupe that consistently chooses strong plays and produces them with polish and imagination. They've yet to steer me wrong."

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