A STRANGE AND SEPARATE PEOPLE Opens Off-B'way July 14

"A Strange and Separate People" by Jon Marans will be presented Off Broadway at Theatre Row - Studio Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, beginning July 14th and Opening Tuesday, July 19th. Daryl Roth and Stacy Shane / ManUnderdog Prods., the original Off Broadway producers of Marans critically acclaimed, award-winning play from last season, The Temperamentals are producing the play. It will be directed by Jeff Calhoun.

"A Strange and Separate People" is an emotionally rich play. An Upper West Side young Orthodox couple, Jay and Phyllis, have managed to find a precarious equilibrium in their complicated personal and religious lives. However, that delicate balance is severely tested when Stuart, a doctor who is handsome, cocky, strangely charismatic gay man who is newly Orthodox, invades their lives. These are three intelligent, opinionated people who have a deep love of their religion AND an enormous love of learning and questioning even authority points of view. At times these separate loves ferociously clash in a contemporary story of betrayal and new beginnings.

Jon Marans (writer) of the award-winning play The Temperamentals, produced last season by Daryl Roth, Stacy Shane and Martian Entertainment that ran for over eight months off-Broadway, first at the Barrow Group Theater and then moving to New World Stages. Other shows by Mr. Marans include: Old Wicked Songs, Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama, included in Otis Guernsey's Best Plays of 1996-97, New York Drama League Award (including play and both actors), L.A. Drama Logue Award (produced Off Broadway by Daryl Roth and Jeffrey Ash). The West End production starred Bob Hoskins and the play has been produced throughout the U.S. and has been translated and produced in over a dozen countries. Mr. Marans' playJumping For Joy had its world premiere at the Laguna Playhouse and produced at the International Adelaide Theater Festival in Adelaide, Australia. Legacy of the Dragonslayers (book by Jon Marans, lyrics by Ronnie Gilbert) premiered at the San Jose Repertory Theatre, Irrationals (book & lyrics Jon Marans, music by Edward Thomas) was produced in Seattle and ATA, NYC. In television, he was a writer/lyricist for the 1991 New Carol Burnett show. In film, Jon Marans and Yuri Sivo were hired by Universal Pictures/Tribeca Productions to write a political/war screenplay based on Roy Rowan's acclaimed book Chasing the Dragon which takes place in 1947 China, in the middle of their civil war. He is a graduate of Duke University with a major in mathematics and a minor in music.

Jeff Calhoun (Director): directed Bonnie & Clyde, coming to Broadway next season (Craig Noel Awards for Outstanding New Musical and Outstanding Director of a Musical). He will direct the World Premiere of the stage adaptation of Disney's Newsies at Papermill Playhouse. Most recently, he directed the critically acclaimed production of Jane Austen's Emma: A Musical Romantic Comedy at The Old Globe. Jeff directed and choreographed the 1st National Tour of the musical adaptation of the hit Dolly Parton film 9 to 5. He also directed the world premiere productions, domestic and international tours of Disney's High School Musical: On Stage! and Disney's High School Musical 2: On Stage! On Broadway, he directed and choreographed the award-winning Deaf West Theatre production of Big River (2004 Tony Award Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre; Tony and Drama Desk nominations, Best Revival; Drama Desk nomination for Best Director of a Musical; Ovation and L.A. Drama Critics Circle awards for Direction and Choreography). Jeff was a producer as well as director/choreographer for the Broadway production of Brooklyn the Musical, and the director/choreographer of the 1994 revival of Grease! (Tony nomination Choreography). He co-choreographed the revival ofAnnie Get Your Gun (Tony Award, Best Revival) and provided the musical staging for the Tony Award winning Grey Gardens. Jeff's Broadway directing debut was Tommy Tune Tonite! His collaboration with Mr. Tune led to the 1991 Tony for Choreography for the Will Rogers Follies. Jeff is an Associate Artist at Ford's Theatre.

The creative team, casting, and performance information will soon be announced.

Photo Credit: Dirty Sugar Photography

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