'Our Country's Good' Begins Limited Run Feb.28

Folding Chair Classical Theatre will present Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker, for a limited run, February 28 - March 22 at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. Folding Chair's Artistic Director, Marcus Geduld, will direct.

"Our Country's Good is based on a real, historical event. In the late 18th Century, England used far-away Australia as a penal colony. Some of the convicts decided to act in a play and The Recruiting Officer, a Restoration Comedy by George Farquhar, became the first play ever performed in Australia. Our Country's Good, which is based on 'The Playmaker,' a novel by Thomas Keneally (Schindler's List), tells the story of the casting, rehearsals and performance of The Recruiting Officer," explain press notes. First produced by the Royal Court Theatre, Our Country's Good won the Olivier Award in 1988 and was later nominated for a Tony Award.

The cast includes Lisa Blankenship, Gowan Campbell, Francine Margolis, Jessika Hardy, James Arden, Jordan Barbour, Paul Hope, Ian Gould, Brad Makarowski and Karen Ogle.

Rather than staging the "play within the play," The Recruiting Officer will be presented as an audio recording using the acting talents of Marcus Geduld, Jennifer Katz-Hickman, Dan Salyer and France Margolis with Lisa Blankenship, Gowan Campbell, Francine Margolis, James Arden, Paul Hope, Ian Gould, Brad Makarowski and Karen Ogle. A copy of the CD of The Recruiting Officer will then be given to each audience member.

Folding Chair Classical Theatre produces plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Aeschylus and other writers from past eras. They also produce modern adaptations of classic stories, plays based on historical events and the occasional 20th Century classic. Folding Chair does not emphasize theme, concept or social relevance. Rather, their passion is storytelling, emphasizing plot, character and language. They usually perform on a bare stage, with actors dressed in street clothes, telling their stories using only bodies, voices & the playwright's words.

Performances are February 28 through March 22. Show times are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8PM; Sundays March 16 & 23 at 2PM.

78th Street Theatre Lab is located at 236 West 78th Street.  Tickets ($19) are available at SmartTix 212-868-4444 or visit www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=OUR8

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