The Cher Show by Rick Elice
THE STORY: The Cher Show is based on the life of Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere Bono Allman or as her friends call her, Cher! The kid on a tricycle, vowing to be famous. The teenage phenom who crashes by twenty. The glam TV star who quits at the top. The would-be actress with an Oscar. The rock goddess with a hundred million records sold. The legend who’s done it all, still scared to walk on stage. The wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend. The woman, looking for love. The ultimate survivor, chasing her dream. They’re all here, dressed to kill, belting out all the hits, telling it like it is. And they’re all the star of The Cher Show.
Deathtrap by Ira Levin
THE STORY: Comfortably ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student in the seminar he has been conducting at a nearby college—a thriller that Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway smash. Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit. Or is it? DEATHTRAP provides twists and turns of devilish cleverness, and offers hilariously sudden shocks in such abundance that audiences will be spellbound until the very last moment.
Failure: A Love Story by Phillip Dawkins
THE STORY: By the end of 1928, all three Fail sisters will be dead — expiring in reverse order, youngest to oldest, from blunt object to the head, disappearance, and finally consumption. Tuneful songs, and a whimsical chorus follow the story of Nelly, Jenny June, and Gerty as they live out their lives above the family clock repair shop near the Chicago River, before their time unexpectedly runs out. A magical, musical fable where, in the end, the power of love is far greater than any individual’s successes or failures.
The Belle of Amherst by William Luce
THE STORY: In her Amherst, Massachusetts home, the reclusive nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson recollects her past through her work, her diaries and letters, and a few encounters with significant people in her life. William Luce’s classic play shows us both the pain and the joy of Dickinson’s secluded life.
Burn This by Lanford Wilson
THE STORY: The place is a Manhattan loft shared by Anna, a lithe young dancer-choreographer, and her two gay roommates—her collaborator, Robbie, who has just been killed in a freak boating accident, and Larry, a world-weary, caustically funny young advertising executive. As the play begins Anna is recovering from attending Robbie’s funeral, comforted by her wealthy, well-meaning boyfriend, Burton, a sci-fi screenwriter whose persistent proposals of marriage Anna finds herself unable to accept. Then, with sudden, unexpected explosiveness, Robbie’s older brother, Pale, bursts on the scene. He has come to collect his brother’s belongings—but stays on to transform the action of the play and the lives of those in it. Menacing, profane, dangerous, and yet oddly sensitive, Pale is both terrifying and fascinating and, in the end, the one who brings to Anna the unsettling but compelling love that, despite her fears and doubts, she cannot turn away.
Small Mouth Sounds by Bess Wohl
THE STORY: In the overwhelming quiet of the woods, six runaways from city life embark on a silent retreat. As these strangers confront internal demons both profound and absurd, their vows of silence collide with the achingly human need to connect. Filled with awkward humor, this strange and compassionate new play asks how we address life’s biggest questions when words fail us.
King Charles III by Mike Barlett
THE STORY: The Queen is dead: After a lifetime of waiting, the prince ascends the throne. A future of power. But how to rule? Mike Bartlett’s controversial play explores the people beneath the crowns, the unwritten rules of our democracy, and the conscience of Britain’s most famous family.
Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens by Jones Hope Wooten
THE STORY: In a hilarious Southern comedy, the Verdeen cousins (Gaynelle, Peaches, and Jimmie Wyvette) of Sweetgum, Texas, race against time to organize a high school reunion before the building is demolished. Overcoming personal obstacles, including ex-husband troubles and unconventional jobs, they must impress a governor’s aide to save their business. Amidst romantic entanglements, threats from relatives, and bizarre incidents, chaos ensues, culminating in a wild battle for the title of Guacamole Queen. This uproarious play, “Last Round-Up of the Guacamole Queens,” concludes the Verdeen Cousins Texas Trilogy, promising uncontrollable laughter and a unique take on reunion mayhem.
Suzie Scrooge by Don Zolidis
THE STORY: In this modern-day adaptation of the beloved Dickens classic, it’s one year after Scrooge’s miraculous transformation. Now everyone is out to take advantage of him, including the unscrupulous Cratchits. Scrooge’s niece, Suzie, tries to look out for him, but instead of saving her uncle, she’s visited by a series of well-meaning spirits: the ghost of her old lab partner, her dead driving instructor, and other oddities who insist on teaching her the true meaning of Christmas. But they don’t quite get what they bargained for.
The Two Musketeers! adapted by Jon Jory
THE STORY: When a small acting company eliminates one Musketeer from their production of The Three Musketeers due to budget constraints, the rest of the cast must sally forth bravely with only two. The classic tale of d’Artagnan and his sword-fighting friends is presented by a hilariously self-aware cast of six, with romance, wit, and derring-do to spare. This low-tech, high-comedy adaptation is a witty send-up of Alexandre Dumas’ beloved adventure.
