THE UNDERSTUDY Playwright Rebeck Featured In WWD

WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY has published an article about Theresa Rebeck titled "Good Humor: Playwright Theresa Rebeck Pens a Comedy" by Vanessa Lawrence. It was published on October 27, 2009 and begins: 

"If literary homicide were a crime, Theresa Rebeck would be serving a rather lengthy sentence. In a recent tide of work, including "The Bells," "The Water's Edge" and "Mauritius," the playwright has managed to kill off an impressive array of characters.

"Three plays running, I've killed someone," she muses as she does a mental body count. "My sister Martha said to me, ‘Could you just write a comedy?' I understood the sort of sad yearning for a good comedy and I thought, I should just write one."

The result is "The Understudy," a tale of a rehearsal gone hilariously awry, opening in a Roundabout production at the Laura Pels Theatre Nov. 5. In the hyperintelligent work, Justin Kirk is Harry, a talented but flailing actor, who is understudying for action movie star Jake (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) in an undiscovered Kafka play. Julie White is Roxanne, their long-suffering stage manager and former paramour of Harry's. Within the span of 90 minutes, "The Understudy" manages to skewer everything from the ego-numbing indignities of the theater world to the epidemic of celebrities trying their hands at Broadway."

To read the full article click here: here

The Understudy opens officially on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, January 3rd, 2010.

The design team includes Alexander Dodge (Sets), Tom Broecker (Costumes), Kenneth Posner (Lights), Obadiah Eaves (Original Music & Sound).

Box office heroes and washed-up has-beens take heed: the play's almost the thing. In this bitingly witty and entertaining comedy by Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius), the lights of Broadway cast an affectionate glow over this look at one of the most notorious roles in the theatre: the understudy.

TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre box office (111 West 46 Street). Ticket prices range from $70.00-$80.00.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
The Understudy plays Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.

Photo credit: Walter McBride

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