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Hollywood Classic HIS GIRL FRIDAY Adapted for the Stage by Hudson Warehouse

By: Feb. 12, 2017
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Hudson Warehouse's winter production is the Hollywood classic, "His Girl Friday," taking the film and turning it into a stage production for their March show.

"We're the resident theater company of The Bernie Wohl Center, which is the heart of community arts for Goddard Riverside Community Center," said Susane Lee, the Assistant Artistic Director of Hudson Warehouse and the director of His Girl Friday.

"March is Women's History Month and Susan Macaluso, the director of Community Arts at The Bernie Wohl Center, was creating a fantastic month of programs centered around women. She asked if we could produce a play that would fit their March theme. A lot of ideas were bandied around, but I thought about "His Girl Friday." I saw it years ago and loved how smart and independent the female journalist, Hildy Johnson, was and how she was Cary Grant's equal. When I watched it again recently, I was amazed that, although the movie was made in 1939, the themes still resonate today. For instance, the movie talks about fake news, the rise of fascism, Stalin being in the pocket of politicians. I was floored! This is exactly what we're going through now! I was thrilled when Susan was enthusiastic about putting this film onstage."

Cary Grant's role, Walter Burns, will be played by Nicholas Martin-Smith, the Producing Artistic Director of Hudson Warehouse who was last seen in the title role of Shakespeare's Titus in August 2015. "We're known for producing classical, outdoor plays in Riverside Park. We're going into our 14th summer season." MR. Martin-Smith said. "It's always exciting to come up with our winter production. We've produced Shakespeare, a comedy parody on Shakespeare, and an original contemporary play at The Bernie Wohl Center. But turning a classical movie into a play? This was new territory for us and we really embraced it. We especially love that period of the 1930's."

Hildy Johnson will be played by Karen Collazzo, who was in last summer's Warehouse production of Lysisarah: "Let's Make America Great Again!" a modern take on Lysistrata. In this version, Lysisarah was modeled after Sarah Palin and Ms. Collazzo played Ann Smoulder, inspired by Ann Coulter.

Bruce Baldwin is played by Olev Aleksander who was last seen in Hudson Warehouse's Henry 4.1, with Steve Guttenberg. Mobster Louie is played by Warehouse veteran Vince Phillip. The Journalists are played by Tom Kane, Ron Hatcher, Jonathan Gelardi, Aron Long, and company member Patrick Harman. Comic relief is in the able hands of Warehouse veteran Linus Gelber as Pettibone and Joseph Knipper as The Sheriff. Rounding out the cast is company member Paul Singleton as Egelhoffer and Cooley the Policeman, Doug Hartwyk as the Mayor, Emily Sarah Cohn as Molly Malloy, Carmen Nikae as Evangeline, Rose-Alma Lamoureux as Mrs. Baldwin, and Alexander Reed as Earl Williams, the condemned man.

Costume Designer is Emily Rose Parman New York Innovative Theater Award Nominee for her 2015 Warehouse production of She Stoops to Conquer.

Production Stage Manager: Mira Singer

His Girl Friday previews on March 9th, 2017 and opens on March 10th. Performances are March 9th - 19th, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm at The Bernie Wohl Center at 647 Columbus Avenue at W. 91st Street.

$18 Tickets at door or online at goddard.org/communityarts.

Take the Number 1/2 Subway to West 96th Street, walk east towards Columbus Avenue. The Bernie Wohl Center, at Goddard Riverside Community Center on 647 Columbus Avenue, is on the corner of W. 91st Street. Or take the B/C line to West. 86th Street and walk east towards Columbus Avenue. Walk up to West 91st street to 647 Columbus Avenue.

Synopsis: Hildy Johnson is a star reporter and ex-wife of Walter Burns, the editor of The Morning Post. She shows up to his paper to let him know she is leaving her job for good to marry insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin. Walter Burns does everything he can to keep her from marrying, including getting her to cover one last story: the upcoming execution of cop killer Earl Williams.

Phone: 917-775-9837

Website: www.hudsonwarehouse.net

Questions: Please email us at hudsonwarehouse89@gmail.com



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