Allyce Beasley and Lynne Wintersteller began rehearsals today as two college roommates, best friends for life, who re-unite thirty years later in Revisiting Wildfire by Kari Floren, directed by Eve Brandstein. Produced by Right Down Broadway, Revisiting Wildfire begins previews Friday, June 1, at 8:00pm for an opening Wednesday, June 6, at 7:00pm at ArcLight Theatre, 152 West 71st Street.
Ms. Beasley and Ms. Wintersteller play 50-something women who have always had a madcap friendship since the early years of punk and the Reagan Administration. But when three decades of the weekly phone calls stop, a surprise visit finds one of them in chaos, the other in denial and both with secrets.
Allyce Beasley was last seen on stage in 2011 Tony winning revival of La Cage Aux Folles with Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge. She is perhaps best known for her role as Ms. Dipesto on the ABC hit Moonlighting, for which she received two Emmy, Golden Globe and American Comedy Award nominations. Ms. Beasley just completed three seasons on Bored to Death as Jason Schwartzman’s on screen mom. Other television and film credits include classic episodes of Taxi and Cheers, Touched by an Angel, Seventh Heaven, Joan of Arcadia, 10/8, Medium, Legally Blonde, Stuart Little, Rumplestilskin, Tommyknockers, Entertaining Angels and Two Brothers and a Bride.
Lynne Wintersteller starred on Broadway in the Tony-nominaTEd Rogers and Hammerstein revue A Grand Night for Singing and garnered a Drama Desk for her work in the Maltby/Shire Off-Broadway Closer Than Ever.
Playwright Kari Floren first saw a previous version of Revisiting Wildfire performed in Los Angeles starring Denise Crosby and Jamie Rose last year. Her other plays include Voices of Swords starring Rosemary Prinz at Urban Stages; The Porch and If Wishes Were Horses at Altered Stages, and A Late Supper at the Maverick Theater. In addition, her screenplay drama, The Night of the New Moon is currently in development with Teri Polo attached
Director Eve Brandstein made her mark in Hollywood’s as a studio executive, producer, director, writer/creator, casting director, talent manager and author. She has directed over 50 stage productions worldwide, including How I Got That Story with David Morse and Richard Klein, William Gibson’s Hanky Panky with Jean Stapleton and Ron Liebman and recently Stories From the Fringe. Working with Norman Lear for a decade, she was one of the foremost casting powers in Los Angeles. She has discovered and fostered many new acting talents including George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Fran Drescher, Aidan Quinn, Alysa Milano to name but a few.
Revisiting Wildfire has sets by Jason Sherwood, costumes by Anne E Grosz and lighting by Nastassia Jimenez.
Tickets are $45, $30 during previews. and may be purchased online at www.RevisitingWildfire.com or via telephone at 212-352-3101.
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