Pear Opens Season With MOTHERS OF THE BRIDE Next Month

Pear Theatre kicks off its 2021-22 season with the world premiere of a poignant comedy by a local playwright: Mothers of the Bride, by local favorite Meghan Maugeri. Hannah is a bride-to-be whose excitement for her upcoming wedding is tempered by her need to manage the affections of both her mother and her stepmother while planning the nuptials.

This show will be presented live at the theater (with a recorded, On Demand version available to view one time by computer) - and, for subscribers, will be offered as a bonus show (not counting against the total subscription price). Mothers of the Bride opens August 20 (preview August 19) and runs through September 12.

Tickets ($20-$42) will be available online beginning July 24; more information is available by visiting www.thepear.org/season-20 or by calling (650) 254-1148.

"I'm passionate about telling stories that explore gender and gender roles," said director Katie Hipol Garcia. "Meghan Maugeri does a beautiful job of showing the complexities of what it is to be a wife and mother, and what it means to different people. I aim to showcase the women Meghan has created: Identifiable and relatable characters, who grow deeper with us as we watch their stories unfold."

In "Mothers of the Bride" by Meghan Maugeri, Hannah has a plan: help her mothers bury the hatchet while finding the perfect wedding gown. The problem: her strong-willed mom has a bone to pick and her traditionalist stepmom is at risk of getting caught in the crossfire. Throw Hannah's soon-to-be mothers-in-law into the mix and it's safe to say that finding a dress will be the least of her problems.

Mothers of the Bride began as a 10-minute piece receiving widespread acclaim in the 2019 Pear Slices, and was developed into a full-length piece with input from other members of the Pear Playwrights Guild. The show was then fine-tuned with audience input after being presented as a staged reading in the Fresh Produce Festival at Pear Theatre. Now ready to see a fully staged production, Mothers of the Bride celebrates the Bay Area play development as well as our own ability to choose our family.

Meghan Maugeri is a proud member of PlayGround Writers Company and Pear Playwrights Guild. Her full-length dramedy, "Polar Bear Society," received a staged reading in American Stage's 21st Century Voices New Play Festival. Her film Headwind won Best Narrative Short at The World Indie Film Festival. Other produced works include her short comedies The Bad Good Planet, and Glinda the Middle-Aged Witch. Maugeri completed The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre summer playwriting program and graduated from Boston College with a degree in literature. Maugeri also worked for several years as a public school teacher which led to her middle grade novel-in-progress, "Pez Proudly Presents." For more information, visit www.MeghanMaugeri.com.

The cast includes Charlotte Ibarra as Hannah the bride-to-be, Kim Seipel as Hannah's mother Kristy, Sandy Sodos as Hannah's stepmother Beth, Caitlyn Lawrence Papp as mother-in-law-to-be Ginny, and Kaylyn MacKenzie as stepmother-to-be Liv. Kelly Weber Barraza stage manages, Pati Bristow provides costumes, Kevin Davies designs the set and props, Brittany Mellerson handles sound design, and Katherine Craig serves as lighting designer. Tessa Corrie directs with Assistant Director Amy Lizardo.

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or musical revues or cutting-edge plays. Now in its nineteenth season, the Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and its ongoing commitment to excellence was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved in 2015 from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre close by, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. After two years of growth under Artistic Director Betsy Kruse Craig, Pear Theatre is newly under the leadership of its third Artistic Director, Sinjin Jones.

To post a comment, you must register and login.