2008-2009 Season

Featuring: Randy Benge as Nick and Jill Taylor as Joan

Less than two weeks after the September 11th attacks, New Yorkers are still in shock. One of them, an editor named Joan, receives an unexpected phone call on behalf of Nick, a fire captain who has lost most of his men in the attack. He's looking for a writer to help him with the eulogies he must present at their memorial services. Nick and Joan spend a long afternoon together, recalling the fallen men through recounting their virtues and their foibles, and fashioning the stories into memorials of words. In the process, Nick and Joan discover the possibilities of friendship in each other and their shared love for the unconquerable spirit of the city. As they make their way through the emotional landscape of grief, they draw on humor, tango, the appreciation of craft in all its forms&emdash;and the enduring bonds of common humanity. The Guys is based on a true story.

Contains mild adult language;
recommended for mature audiences, age 13 and above.

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Featuring: Amy Anderson, Randy Benge, Kim Garrison Hopcraft, Matt Hermes, Madeline Jobrack, Zac Lape, Lorelei Moore, John Newkirk and Jon Schelb

Set in the mythical, magical land of Nocturno, Still Life With Iris chronicles a young girl's quest to regain her memory and, with it, her home. With the help of the incredible people she meets along the way, including Annabelle Lee and a young Mozart, Iris' crusade recovers more than her past: through the power of faith and the courage of persistence, she succeeds in finding herself. Still Life with Iris was the first play written for young audiences to receive the Kennedy Center's prestigious "Fund for New American Plays" Award. By the playwright of Curtain's acclaimed production of Inventing Van Gogh, this inventive play speaks to audiences of all ages.

Still Life with Iris is our Family Production for the 46th season and is one of two shows that you can see using your FLEX-TICKET from your season ticket package. The second FLEX-TICKET option is Burn This, our Studio Production.

Recommended for All Ages.

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Featuring: Kim Sanders, Scott Willis, Doug Browell, John Grote, Nolan Martin, Ernie W. Nicastro and Jason Hugh Smith

Set in a drought-ridden rural town in the West, The Rainmaker tells the story of spinsterish Lizzie Curry, whose father and two brothers worry more about her marital prospects than about their dying cattle. The arrival of a charming stranger named Starbuck, who promises to bring rain in exchange for $100, brings the promise of new life to both Lizzie and the town. A 1954 Broadway hit, The Rainmaker was adapted into the Tony-nominated musical 110 in the Shade and was also made into an acclaimed film starring Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster.

Suitable for all ages.

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Featuring: Christopher Seitz, Kate Mock Elliott, Michael Day and Kevin Reams

Burn This will play a limited engagement, Fridays and Saturdays only, as our premiere Studio Production. The Playwrights Festival opens in July.

In this acclaimed play by the playwright of Book of Days, a young dancer's accidental death uproots the lives of four people who, through their shared grief, confront personal passions and unexpected desire. Anna, a dancer who is mourning the loss of her gay dance partner, Robbie, encounters his older brother, Pale, when he bursts into her loft in the middle of the night. Dangerous, sexy, raw, and demanding, Pale inserts himself into Anna's calm existence and leads her into an explosive relationship from which there may be no turning back.

Burn This is one of two shows that you can see using your FLEX-TICKET from your season ticket package. The other FLEX-TICKET option is our Family Production, Still Life with Iris.

For Mature Audiences Only—Strong adult language and situations.

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Featuring: Matt Wolfe, Krista Stauffer, Jim Petsche, Mary Acierno and Charlie Sloin

If your parents knew everything about you before you were born, would you be here? This controversial play tackles the issue of fictional genetic testing that would determine the sexual orientation of an unborn child. When Suzanne Gold-Stein discovers her son is destined to be gay, she considers aborting the fetus, much to the dismay of her gay brother David, whose lifestyle never has been fully accepted by his conservative family. First produced in 1993, this play is as timely as when it was written.

Recommended for Ages 13 & Up; Mature Themes.

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Featuring: Courtney Lingnofski, Nolan Martin, Jeff Kemeter, Charlisa Anderson and Doug Browell

Barefoot in the Park introduces newlywed couple Corie and Paul Bratter, as they move from a honeymoon at The Plaza into the crazy reality of starting married life in a fifth-floor walkup in New York City. While Paul is a straight-laced attorney, Corie is a far more spontaneous free spirit. The two must contend with a lack of heat, a skylight with a gaping hole, several long flights of stairs, oddball neighbor Victor Velasco, and Corie's well-meaning mother in this classic comedy, inspired by Neil Simon's own first marriage. Barefoot opened on Broadway in 1963, and became Simon's longest-running stage success; in addition to countless stage productions, it has given rise to two films and two televisions series.

Suitable for Ages 13 & Up.

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Featuring: Drew Smith, Jody Hepp, Keith Robinson, Randy Benge, Jon Schelb, Rachel Hering, Ben Williams, Chris Storer, Alexander Smith, Denae Rall, Josy Hepp, Liana Clareson and Radley Hipp

In this beloved musical by the writers of My Fair Lady, King Arthur longs to create a perfectly principled kingdom, but sees his dream undone by a tragic love triangle involving Queen Guenevere and his best friend Lancelot. The King's vision&emdash;a place where 'violence is not strength, and compassion is not weakness'&emdash;speaks to our time and for all time. With a score featuring the songs "I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight," "Camelot," "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood," "How to Handle a Woman," and "If Ever I Would Leave You," Camelot opened on Broadway in 1960, was made into a film starring Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave, and has been revived on Broadway and on tour countless times. Curtain Players will present an intimate, chamber version of this musical theatre classic.

Suitable for All Ages.

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Plus workshops and readings, Saturday afternoons.

Once again, Curtain Players will feature the exciting and entertaining plays of up and coming playwrights from around the country. Be they comedies, thrillers, dramas, or thought-provoking new works, we bring you new and unpublished shows. From one-acts to full-length, ranging from readings to fully-staged productions, the Playwrights Festival offers you a chance to meet the playwrights and become a part of their process and contribute your thoughts to the future of theatre.

New This Year

• Thursday night productions for each weekend.
• Free workshops on crafting plays, finding your voice, and taking the next step with your work every Saturday at Noon.
• Saturday matinee READINGS&emdash;this "Festival extra" showcases a new play each weekend.

The Festival is not part of regular season subscription package.

• Premiere tickets: $7 per evening or
  $18 for a 3-evening festival pass.
• Saturday Readings: $3 General Admission.
• Workshops: FREE

The Readings and Workshop schedule will be listed online and at the theater.

About the Festival

The Curtain Players Playwrights Festival was created during the 2002–2003 season by local playwrights within the CP family who each had scripts that were at a developmental point where an audience becomes essential. The goal of the festival is to mount small, low-budget productions, focusing on the words, and seek feedback and discussion from an audience; feedback that the playwrights use to better their works and ready them for larger, future productions and eventual publication. Several Festival alumni have seen their work receive full productions.

Looking to submit your own play? Submissions must be postmarked by December 31, 2008. Check the Playwrights Festival page for the latest updates.