East Lynne Theater Company Presents ASL Performance of IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE, 9/12

 On Friday, September 12 at 8:00p.m., there will be an American Sign Language Interpretation of the comedy, "It Pays to Advertise" produced by the award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company.

     ELTC prides itself on producing forgotten gems, which have been favorably noted by "The Wall Street Journal" and "The New York Times," and "It Pays to Advertise" is no exception.  Karl Levitt, the reviewer for "Back Stage" wrote "It's fun, and fits the current times perfectly."

     This timely farce, written by Roi Cooper Megrue and Walter C. Hackett, was a Broadway hit decades before AMC's "Mad Men" and proves that the trademark might be better than the product.

     The theatrical ASL interpreters are Kathy Filippo and Gina Lanza, who have performed many times for ELTC. The process involves them seeing the production at least once, plus going over the script several times to figure out who will interpret which roles, and in many cases, come up with signage for unusual names and words.   

      The cast includes Tom Byrn, Glen Corlin, Max Baxter Luceno, John Cameron Weber, Phil Pizzi, Thomas Raniszewski, Kate Shine, Maria Silverman, and Gayle Stahlhuth, who also directs.  Even stage manager Lee O'Connor steps into a cameo role.

     Tom Byrn plays Ambrose, the ad-man who believes that "advertising is responsible for everything."  Last season, he received a glowing review in "The Wall Street Journal" in ELTC's "He and She" and recently was in "God of Carnage" at River Valley Rep in Poughkeepsie, NY.  On Monday evening, October 8, he's teaching a special acting class open to the public. 

     Matt Baxter Luceno plays Rodney, who must prove to his father, Cyrus, and to Mary, that he can be a successful businessman. Recently he performed in a new adaptation of "The Island of Doctor Moreau" in Brooklyn with Piper Theater Productions. Kate portrays Mary, a business woman who knows how to play all the angles. She recently performed in New York Avant Garde Festival's "My Past Girlfriends," which won Best Play at the Hudson Guild in NYC.

     Enter Comtesse de Beaurien, speaking French and in a hurry to make a business deal, played by Maria Silverman who was in "A View from the Bridge" on Broadway.  John Cameron Weber portrays Cyrus Martin, a self-made millionaire. He has performed in soap operas and in a variety of roles in regional theaters.

     Thomas Raniszewski, who was in ELTC's "The Poe Mysteries," portrays the son of the owner of Ivory Soap. Phil Pizzi, whose voice is known to followers of 98.7 The Coast, takes on several roles. Glen Corlin is Johnson, the butler. He has performed in Hawaii and Germany in productions ranging from "Oklahoma!" to "Crimes of the Heart."

     This marks Gayle Stahlhuth's forty-third ELTC production that she has directed since she was asked to become artistic director in 1999.

     ELTC presents this screwball comedy through October 13, with an 8:00 p.m. curtain. It is the usual Wednesday through Saturday schedule, except there is no show on Wednesday, October 3, and an added show on Sunday, October 7 at 7:30 p.m.

     The performances are at The First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, 500 Hughes St., where The Company is in residence. Tickets are $30 for general admission; $25 for seniors (ages 62 and over); and $15 for full-time students. As always, to encourage whole families to attend, ages 12 and under are free. For information and reservations, call 884-5898 or go online to www.eastlynnetheater.org.

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