The Gallery Players Presents REEFER MADNESS 10/23-11/14

The Gallery Players is proud to announce casting and creative team for the first musical of its 44th season, the hit musical Reefer Madness. Directed by Dev Bondarin (The House of Blue Leaves, The Gallery Players), this outrageous satire comes to Brooklyn October 23 - November 14, 2010.

Inspired by the now-classic propaganda film of the mid 1930s, this raucous musical comedy tracks the mayhem that ensues when fresh-faced, clean-cut teenagers fall prey to society's "Public Enemy No. 1: the dreaded menace and leafy green assassin: marijuana!" It's an uproarious downward spiral hazed with a heady mix of orgies, dismemberment, zombies, swing dancing and, of course, Jesus. This much fun shouldn't be legal. At its core, this wild and sardonic romp is a timely piece of political commentary, questioning the truth and motives of prominent mouthpieces, ultimately proving that even the most all-American dreams can go up in smoke if you let your morals go to pot.

The Gallery Players' Reefer Madness stars: Natalia Barzilai, Laura Elizabeth Brandel, Robert Conte, Jason Edward Cook* (Off Broadway: With Glee), Rebecca Dealy (Like You Like It, The Gallery Players), Joshua M. Feder, Greg Horton* (Off Broadway: With Glee; 2010 NYIT Award nominated Top of the Heap, The Gallery Players), Jaygee Macapugay* (Miss Saigon, 5th Avenue Theater), Katharine Pettit*, José Restrepo* (Broadway: Grease, 2007 revival), Zak Risinger* (Horse Trade Theater Group, Prospect Theater Company), Michele Scully* and Travis Slavin *appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

Dev Bondarin (The House of Blue Leaves, The Gallery Players) directs Reefer Madness, produced by Heather Siobhan Curran for The Gallery Players. The musical director is Brandon Sturiale (National Tour: Urban Cowboy; Off-Broadway: All Bad Things, The Public Theater) and the choreographer is Joe Barros. The set designer is Lilia Trenkova; the costume designer is Soule Golden. Dan Jobbins is the lighting designer, properties designer is Jennifer Stimple, and the sound designer is Kim Fuhr. The Associate producer is Robert Earle Jones, the Assistant choreographer is Jackie Covas and the production stage manager is Jodi Witherell.

Reefer Madness opens Saturday, October 23, 2010 and continues Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 3 pm through Sunday, November 14, 2010.

Tickets to Reefer Madness at The Gallery Players are just $18 for adults, $14 for Seniors & Children 12 and under. Season subscriptions start at just $110. Individual tickets and subscriptions can be purchased by calling TheaterMania at (212) 352-3101, or online at www.galleryplayers.com. The Gallery Players is located at 199 14th St., between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Take the F Train to 4th Ave. or the R Train to 9th Street. By car: BQE to Hamilton Avenue to 14th Street.

Reefer Madness, with book and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and book and music by Dan Studney, premiered in Los Angeles in 1998, directed by Andy Fickman. The show won five Ovation Awards and seven L.A. Drama Critics Cricle Awards. A short-lived off-Broadway production starring Christian Campbell, Kristen Bell, Gregg Edelmann and Michelle Pawk opened on September 15, 2001 at the Variety Arts Theatre, garnering two Drama Desk nominations. A movie musical adaption premiered in 2005 on Showtime with Campbell and Bell reprising their roles, and co-starring Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, Steven Weber, Neve Campbell and Amy Spanger. Original 1998 cast album and 2005 movie soundtrack are available on Ghostlight Records.

A New York institution since 1967, The Gallery Players has served actors and audiences alike for more than 4 decades by showcasing burgeoning new talent and offering a home base for theater professionals. Its eclectic programming of intimate revivals and ambitious new work in inventive productions has earned it the reputation of "New York's Best Kept Secret." The Gallery Players is the recipient of the Off-Off Broadway Review's 2000 Award for Lifetime Achievement and was the recipient of New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical in 2007, 2008 & 2009 for their productions of Urinetown! the musical, Yank! A New Musical, and Like You Like It. Among its famous alumni are founding member Harvey Fierstein; Broadway regulars Nancy Anderson, Jeffry Denman and Diedre Goodwin; New York theater personality Seth Rudetsky and many others.

The Gallery Players' 44th season continues with Dancing at Lughnasa, December 4 - 19, 2010. We kick off 2011 with The Drowsy Chaperone, January 29-February 20, 2011, then August Wilson's Jitney, March 19 - April 3, 2011, and Oliver!, April 30 - May 22, 2011 closes out the main stage season. The Gallery Players' summer celebration of new works continues with The 14th Annual Black Box New Play Festival, June 2 - 26th, 2011.

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