Out Of The Box Theatre Company Presents THE BUTTER AND EGG MAN At The Bernie Wohl Center

Out of the Box Theatre Company (OotB) concludes its 2023-24 season with an Actors' Equity Association-approved showcase production of the hilarious 1925 comedy The Butter and Egg Man by George S. Kaufman, June 18, 20-23, 2024.

The live, in-person performances will take place at the Bernie Wohl Center, 647 Columbus Avenue (between 91st and 92nd Streets), New York, N.Y. Tickets are $30 and $25 (seniors and students) and can be purchased at http://ShowTix4U.com/events/OutOfTheBoxTheatre.

The Butter and Egg Man will be performed six times only:

Tuesday, June 18 at 7:30pm

Thursday, June 20 at 7:30pm

Friday, June 21 at 7:30pm

Saturday, June 22 at 3pm and 7:30pm

Sunday, June 23 at 3pm

[Note: There is no performance on Wednesday, June 19.]

"The Butter and Egg Man is the only play George S. Kaufman wrote without a collaborator and a classic example of the type of love letter to the Broadway theater that inspired such later works as Room Service, Light Up the Sky,and even The Producers," said David Edwards, Out of the Box Theatre's new artistic director and director of the production. "It hasn't been seen in a professional production in New York for many years and topped my wish list for the first play to be produced by Out of the Box Theatre since I became the company's artistic director."

George S. Kaufman's uproarious comedy takes a sidesplitting look behind the scenes of the theater world. According to Wictionary, in 1920s slang a "butter and egg man" was a "prosperous dairy farmer (or other wealthy rural citizen) ... coming into the big city and ostentatiously living it up." In this play, he is a novice from Ohio, armed with nothing but a hefty inheritance and a dream of making it big on Broadway. But navigating the cutthroat world of theater isn't easy, especially when you're as green as grass and twice as naive. From shady producers with dollar signs in their eyes to temperamental divas with egos the size of Manhattan, the intrepid protagonist encounters a cast of characters as colorful as a Broadway marquee.

With Kaufman's signature wit and razor-sharp humor, The Butter and Egg Man gleefully skewers the absurdities of the entertainment industry. Every scene crackles with energy as our hero bumbles his way through rehearsals and opening nights, finding love and financial gain in the most unexpected places. But beneath the belly laughs lies a poignant commentary on the fleeting nature of success and the importance of staying true to oneself in a world where everyone is out for a buck and a place in the spotlight.

Director David Edwards started his career as a child in the Broadway musical The Rothschilds. He has performed on Broadway and National tour in The Producers and By Jeeves, and in leading roles in over 150 productions Off-Broadway and regionally. He directed last season's Out of the Box production of Fallen Angels. Other directing credits include The Seafarer (Florida Rep), The Unexpected Guest (Gretna Theatre), By Jeeves (Meadow Brook Theatre-Oscar Wilde Award nom.), South Pacific and Man of La Mancha (Ivoryton Playhouse-Connecticut Critics Circle noms.), Meshuggah-Nuns (Gateway Playhouse), The Producers and Home for the Holidays (Westchester Broadway Theatre), title of show (Playhouse on Park), Souvenir (New London Barn), Bittersuite(Centenary Stage Co.), and Rumors and Showboat (Surflight Theatre).

The cast includes Frank Bowman,* Susan Case,* Beth Griffith,* Dan Haft,* Elizabeth Hayden,* Steven Peacock Jacoby,* Tony Javed, Terry Rakov,* Joe Symon,* Carrie Wilder, and Dennis Wit*

The production is produced by Halina Malinowski, with scenic design by Harlan Penn, costume design by Katherine Roberson, and lighting design by Stephen Cornelius. Harrison H. Harper, is the stage manager.

This production will use the original 1925 public domain version of the script.

The mission of Out of the Box Theatre Company, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, is to feature working professionals at their peak and in their prime: seasoned actors, directors and designers primarily past 50 years of age, and to present new interpretations of period plays and contemporary classics: works written in the last century and earlier. Out of the Box also distributes free tickets to senior citizen organizations.

The Butter and Egg Man is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. The Butter and Egg Man also is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

More information about the company, including previous and future productions, can be found at OutOfTheBoxTheatre.com.

*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actors' Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production.

^David Edwards is a member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional Stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States.

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