The Theater Project to Host an Evening of DURANG

What if the STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE got a flat tire, or whatever the trolley equivalent would be? What if GLASS MENAGERIE's sensitive, fragile Laura and her collection of tiny glass animals became hypochondriac Lawrence and his collection of glass swizzle sticks? That's pretty much what happens in FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS and other theater satires by Christopher Durang, presented as part of THREE PLAYS IN THREE WEEKS by The Theater Project in Maplewood, NJ.

Durang is the author of the recent Broadway hit VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE. Hailed by The New Yorker as "one of the funniest playwrights alive," he certainly does not disappoint in the parodies being presented collectively as FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS, and The Theater Project contributes its tradition of gender-bending and color-blind casting to the mix.

"Durang clearly has a great love and deep understanding of Tennessee Williams' plays and his characters," says Theater Project artistic director Mark Spina. "And being Christopher Durang, I guess he just couldn't resist throwing them all into a blender to see what would happen."

The cast includes newcomers and Theater Project veterans, favorites from New Jersey stages and guests from New York: Noreen Farley (Clinton), Marc Geller (New York City), Will Budnikov (Edison), Nick Walsh (New Brunswick), Kelley McAndrews (New York City), Barbara Guidi (Scotch Plains), Gary Glor (Union), Gail Lou (Englewood), and Dennis DaPrile (Spring Lake).

FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS is part of THREE PLAYS IN THREE WEEKS, an entire season of entertainment delivered in less than one month by The Theater Project, the professional theater company at the Burgdorff Center in Maplewood. TEACHER IN THE HOUSE (September 24 - 28), a one-woman show by NYC performance artist Susan Jeremy precedes FOR WHOM THE SOUTHERN BELLE TOLLS (October 1-4), which is followed by BUYER AND CELLAR (October 8--18) by Jonathan Tolins. Patrons can see all three plays for $45 when they order by September 21; the package allows theatergoers to maximize their entertainment dollars and experience an entire theater season in less than a month.

The Theater Project, an award-winning company celebrating 22 years, presents its main stage season at the Burgdorff Center in Maplewood. It also offers programs, such as workshops and presentations with professional playwrights, and classes for kids in theater, juggling and music, in Cranford, Maplewood and Union. For information, visit: www.TheTheaterProject.org

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