Penguin Rep Presents Lee Blessing's COBB

Penguin Rep Theatre, the award-winning professional Equity theatre under the leadership of founding artistic director Joe Brancato and executive director Andrew M. Horn, follows up its sold-out 40th season-opener, Trayf, with Cobb, a powerful play by Lee Blessing about the legendary baseball player, beginning Friday, June 30.

Cobb explores the complicated legacy of the first player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. "Cobb reveled in being called 'the most hated man in the game,'" says Brancato who will direct. "He was a philanthropist and a racist who played poker with presidents and died a multimillionaire, largely forgotten."

Brancato previously staged Cobb at Penguin Rep in 1995 and then reprised his celebrated staging for the Melting Pot Theater in New York City in 2000. Two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey moved the production to the Lucille Lortel Theatre, where it garnered the Drama Desk for Best Ensemble in 2001, and then in 2002, with the late Garry Marshall, to Los Angeles.

Variety wrote that Brancato's staging "makes for that rare evening at the theater that leaves you wanting more."

The limited engagement of Cobb runs through Sunday, July 23 at Penguin Rep Theatre in historic Stony Point (Rockland County), New York. Official opening is Sunday, July 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Stephen Bradbury, Todd Lawson, Andy Striph, and Damian Thompson are featured in the cast.

The production has scenic design by Christopher Thompson, costume design by Christopher Metzger, lighting design by Christina Watanabe, sound design by William Neal, with casting by Stephanie Klapper.

Performance days and times are: Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m., with matinees on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. There is also a special weekday matinee on Friday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m.

Penguin's intimate, 108-seat theatre, which is located at 7 Crickettown Road, is converted from an 1880's hay barn, and offers air-conditioning, wheelchair accessible entrance, rest rooms and seating, and plenty of free parking.

Tickets to Cobb are priced at $44 (including facility fee and service charge). There is an early ordering discount of $35 for tickets purchased prior to July 2. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more and young people (30 and under).

On Sunday, July 2, the audience is invited to join the cast and crew for cake and coffee after the performance.

On Friday, July 7, there will be a discussion among the actors and audience following the show.

Before the 4:00 p.m. show on Saturday, July 8, there will be a complimentary tasting.

Penguin's 2017 season also includes Syncopation, Allan Knee's romantic comedy set on the lower East Side in 1911 about a 38-year-old Jewish butcher and a young Italian garment worker who take dance lessons and dream of a better life. (August 11 - September 3), and the world premiere of Frederick Stroppel's Fall River, a new take on Lizzie Borden from the author of Small World (October 13 - November 5).

To order tickets or for further information, visit Penguin Rep's website at www.penguinrep.org or call 845-786-2873.

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