Regional Premiere of YES, VIRGINIA to be Presented by Judson Theatre Company

Yes, Virginia - the new holiday comedy by Stan Zimmerman ("The Golden Girls," "Gilmore Girls") and Christian McLaughlin ("Desperate Housewives," "Married...With Children") - will receive its regional theatre premiere at Judson Theatre Company. Yes, Virginia opens at Owens Auditorium at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center (BPAC) on Thursday, November 18 at 7:00 PM and runs for four performances through Sunday, November 21. Starring Mindy Sterling (Austin Powers, "The Goldbergs") and Arnetia Walker ("Nurses," Dreamgirls), the play is directed by Stan Zimmerman. Tickets are $38 in advance, $45 at the door, with $25 student and military tickets (ID required) available at JudsonTheatre.com or in the Boyd Library box office on the campus of Sandhills Community College (3395 Airport Rd., Pinehurst, NC).

A free talkback with the creative team will follow the Saturday, November 20 matinee, open to ticketholders for that performance. To allow for social distancing, this indoor event will be limited to 50% capacity. The COVID-19 protocols of Sandhills Community College and Bradshaw Performing Arts Center requires masks that cover the face and mouth to be worn at all times while indoors on campus.

Yes, Virginia is the heartwarming and hilarious holiday comedy in the vein of Zimmerman's writing for The Golden Girls. The story centers on two older women navigating the perils of aging in suburban Detroit. Virginia Campbell was a longtime housekeeper and confidant for Denise Miller and her family, helping Denise raise her children during a difficult divorce. But when she shows up for work, Denise is confused...especially since she thought she had let her go several months ago. When an accident in the kitchen keeps Virginia from being able to walk, Denise offers to care for Virginia for a few days until she has healed. Their roles suddenly reversed, they share memories of their lives and families over the course of an evening. Soon they learn secrets about each other that they had kept from everyone else, and bond in a way that they hadn't been able to in the past, over their very different, but similar pains.

In its Los Angeles showcase production, critics called the play "an uplifting holiday dramedy" (StageSceneLA). According to Showmag.com, "the script is warm and natural, with humor gracefully woven through the dialog." All About the Stage praised its "laugh-out-loud production."

Judson Theatre Company Executive Producer Morgan Sills states, "Anyone who loves The Golden Girls, Gilmore Girls, and Desperate Housewives will surely love Yes, Virginia. You'll recognize and love and laugh along with these two well-crafted characters, especially as played by Mindy Sterling and Arnetia Walker." Artistic Director Daniel Haley said, "We're thrilled to offer a new play by writers of Stan and Christian's caliber for our first regional theatre premiere. Together and individually, they've written for some of the most beloved television series and films in contemporary pop culture. And audiences walk in knowing Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers and Arnetia Walker from her series, Nurses. It's a coup for JTC to be able to bring this talented team to the Sandhills."

For more information visit: www.JudsonTheatre.com

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