The Heather Theatre to Wrap 2015-16 Season with World Premiere ON THE BENCH

Voted Best Up and Coming Theater Company in Tampa Bay by Creative Loafing 2015, The Heather closes their 15/16 season with the original piece ON THE BENCH.

Written by Holly Swayne and Jason Sutton, who also directs, On the Bench makes its full stage world premier after its initial staged reading in August. The play tells the story of Anna, an upper-middle class young woman, trying to find meaning after quitting her job. She meets a homeless veteran named Henry with whom she shares her days, and who challenges her view of the world. In the evenings, Anna goes home to her partner, Julia, a career woman with strong opinions on the meaning of social justice. Through a series of interactions, Anna learns as much about the world around her as she learns about her place in it. Accompanying the performances will be the original musical score written by House of Leros, who will also be performing live.

Mounted with support from The Lightning Foundation and Drs. William and Sharon Sutton, performances will be held at the Shimberg Playhouse of the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on November 11th and 12th. Proceeds will benefit the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation, a charitable organization devoted to helping military families. Please visit the Straz Center at: www.strazcenter.org/Events/Straz/Shows/Rentals/On-the-Bench for ticket information.

The Heather is named after SAG-AFTRA actor, Heather Philipsen, whose courage and bravery during her time of struggle is an inspiration. The members of The Heather hope to allow her spirit and legacy of strength and genuine caring for others to live on through their performances and generosity to their community. The Heather is a 501c3 not-for-profit professional theatre company dedicated to producing intimate, socially challenging, artistically brave and inspiring works of Live Theatre.