Andre Braugher And Michele Pawk Star In World Premiere Drama At SOPAC

American Theater Group announces the World Premiere production of Tell Them I'm Still Young, by Julia Doolittle, at the South Orange Performing Arts Center January 24-February 3, 2019. The cast includes two award-winning leading actors of stage, film and television. Andre Braugher and Michele Pawk portray a professor and a poet whose marriage is shaken when tragedy strikes. As they grapple with the aftermath, a lover from the past and an ambitious graduate student enter their lives.

"I am thrilled that these two outstanding actors will take part in our production." said American Theater Group Producing Artistic Director James Vagias. "Andre and Michele bring a fantastic chemistry to their roles, and I think our audiences are going to love the play and their performances."

Andre Braugher is best known for his television roles of Frank Pembleton in Homicide: Life on the Street, Owen Thoreau, Jr. in Men of a Certain Age and Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His portrayal of Homicide's Frank Pembleton was ranked #3 on TV Guide's list of top 50 TV Detectives. Andre Braugher's resume is studded with awards (10 Emmy Nominations, 2 Emmy Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Critics Choice Television Awards and more) and the serious roles every actor dreams of. He played the title role in Henry V at New York City's Shakespeare in the Park, winning him an Obie Award. A second Obie for Manhattan Theatre Club's 2011 production of Whipping Man added yet another recognition for his skill and magnetism as an actor. A graduate of New York's famed Juilliard School Drama Division, he was acknowledged as the most outstanding student of his class. 1997 brought another accolade when he was named by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

Tony Award winner Michele Pawk, whose Broadway credits include Hollywood Arms, Hairspray, Losing Louie, Mamma Mia, Chicago, Seussical and more, has a career brimming with performing, directing and teaching achievements. Her lengthy resume includes Broadway, Off-Broadway and Regional Theatre credits that have earned her a Tony Award (Hollywood Arms), Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. Television appearances include Madam Secretary, Law and Order, The Golden Girls, Dear John and Quantum Leap. Not content to bask in her on-stage achievements her directing credits include My Queer Youth and The Disney Diaries at the Beechman Theatre, Carapace Isle at Manhattan Rep and Picnic at the William Inge Center. Michele is a proud faculty member in the Wagner College Theatre Department.

Playwright Julia Doolittle's play Love and Contracts was recently seen at South Coast Repertory's Pacific Playwrights Festival, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. Her work has also been seen at Second Stage, Portland Stage, Victory Gardens Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Sam French Off-Off Broadway Festival, Rattlestick Playwright's Theatre, The Tank, Tiny Rhino, The Women's Project, Urban Stages, and Rogue Machine Theatre. She's a proud recipient of the Elizabeth George Commission from South Coast Rep, a finalist for the Neukom Award, a semi-finalist for the O'Neill Summer Conference, and a finalist for the 2017 Heideman Award at the Humana Festival. She is a newly minted member of the Obie-Award winning playwrights' group, Youngblood.

Tell Them I'm Still Young by Julia Doolittle will play Jan 24-Feb 3, 2019. Tickets are $35-$39 and can be purchased online at https://www.sopacnow.org/still-young or by calling the box office at (973) 313-2787. There will be an audio-described performance on Sunday, January 27 at 3PM.

About American Theater Group
American Theater Group, a professional member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, is SOPAC's theatre company in-residence. Headed by Producing Artistic Director James Vagias, the theatre company presents staged readings of new work in the SOPAC Loft and fully-staged productions on the SOPAC mainstage.

American Theater Group was launched in 2012 with co-founders Joe Mancuso, Rick Sordelet and then Mayor of Rahway Jim Kennedy that offers musicals and plays, a new musical reading series and arts-in education programming. Its focus is on producing new and classical works, primarily by American Playwrights, with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. American Theater Group's Board of Trustees chairperson is South Orange resident and Tony Award-winning actress Michelle Pawk.

About SOPAC
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The premier arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and education programs for all ages. To further expand its offerings, SOPAC has a partnership with the Juilliard School of Music to present Juilliard @ SOPAC-a series featuring upcoming musicians from the acclaimed conservatory. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University Arts Council's performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz 'N the Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC also presents performances by its theatre company in-residence, American Theater Group. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org

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