ADOPT A SAILOR: THE HOLIDAY EDITION to Open at Cape May Stage

Cape May Stage is ushering in the holiday season with "Adopt a Sailor: The Holiday Edition'' by Charles Evered, playing Dec. 8th through Dec. 30th. Showtimes are Tuesday-Saturday at 7:00 PM, and Saturday-Sunday at 2 PM with certain holiday exceptions at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, located at 405 Lafayette Street, in the heart of Cape May's historic district.

Written by Charles Evered, a New Jersey native and naval veteran himself, "Adopt a Sailor: The Holiday Edition '' centers around Patricia and Richard, an upscale New York couple who inadvertently adopts a sailor from rural Arkansas for the holiday season. Roy Steinberg, Artistic Director of Cape May Stage said that "Cape May Stage originally planned to produce "Adopt a Sailor" for the 2020 season but when that became impossible I contacted Charles Evered and asked him to adapt his original play into a holiday version. Thankfully Charles agreed and "Adopt a Sailor - the Holiday Edition" now closes the Cape May Stage's 2021 season and once again Cape May Stage is listed in the printed published version as the first theatre to mount this text. The patrons of Cape May are the first people to see a professional production of this play. We aspire to be associated with the next great group of playwrights."

Charles Evered also wrote and directed the feature film "Adopt a Sailor", starring Peter Coyote and Bebe Neuwirth. "Adopt a Sailor" was an official selection at more than 20 national and international film festivals and premiered on Showtime.

Cape May Stage's production features Cape May Stage's own artistic director Roy Steinberg, as Richard, the uptight, self-centered husband. Roy's performance credits for Cape May Stage include "Lend Me A Tenor" (winner of "Broadwayworld.com's" 'Best Play of the Decade in New Jersey') as well as "Barefoot in the Park", "Red," and "The Lion in Winter."

Returning to the stage is Marlena Lustik as Patricia, the artistic, flamboyant wife. Marlena Lustik has performed in and directed various productions at Cape May Stage. In previous seasons, she has played Eleanor in "The Lion in Winter," Aoife in "Outside Mullingar," Mrs. Banks in "Barefoot in the Park," Mrs. Gottlieb in "Dead Man's Cell Phone," Silda in "Other Desert Cities," Julia in "Lend Me a Tenor," Berthe in "Boeing Boeing,"Lillian in "I Hate Hamlet," and Ouiser in "Steel Magnolias."

Playing the Sailor is Colby Howell. Colby has performed across the country at theatres such as The Lyric ("The Drowsy Chaperone," "Oliver!,") Atlanta: (Alliance Theatre, "Darlin' Cory-- reading), New York: "The Closet" (Manhattan Theatre Club), "The Behavior of Light," "When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout" (The Clurman Theatre), "Really Really," "Rabbit Hole," "Cripple of Inishmaan," and "Twelfth Night."

Charles Evered (Playwright) is no stranger to Cape May Stage, having had his play "An Actor's Carol" performed at Cape May Stage in 2018. He took his undergraduate degree from Rutgers-Newark and his MFA from Yale University, where he studied with director George Roy Hill. Mr. Evered is co-founder of the "Evered House," a non profit artist residency for military veterans, first responders, and those who serve in conflict zones. The program is dedicated in honor of his father, Charles J. Evered, a veteran of World War II. Evered himself served in the United States Navy Reserve, reaching the rank of Lieutenant.

Chris Dolman (Director) is an Artistic Associate at Cape May Stage. In his long association with CMS, he has both acted and directed for the theater. Directing highlights include productions of "Parallel Lives: The Kathy & Mo Show," "Doubt," "Barefoot in the Park," "Red," and "Lend Me A Tenor," which was recently awarded New Jersey's Best Best Production of the Decade by Broadway World. As an actor, highlights at CMS include "ART", "Dinner With Friends," "Boeing, Boeing," and most recently, "Outside Mullingar."

"Adopt a Sailor: The Holiday Edition", an endearing heart-warming reminder that despite our glaring differences, we may have more in common with others than we could have ever imagined, runs Tuesday-Saturday at 7:00 PM, and Saturday-Sunday at 2 PM with certain holiday exceptions from Dec. 8th through Dec. 30th. Preview night will be Dec. 8th with the official Opening Night performance on Dec. 9th., with an after following at the theatre. Cape May Stage is pleased to announce the following performances on Wed. Dec. 15th, Dec. 28th - 30th are Best Value Nights and Tues. Dec. 21 and Sun. Dec. 26 are Pay-What-You-Wish Nights. There will also be a special Talk - Back on December 10th with playwright Charles Evered, director Chris Dolman, and cast directly following the performance.

For ticket information, visit capemaystage.org or call the Box Office at 609-770-8311.

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