Pick Your Ear Productions is presenting a repertoire of what may be considered some of Tennessee Williams’ most popular one-act plays, produced by Nicole Gut (who will be featured in two of them, Hello from Bertha and A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot ). The plays are being directed by Tony Award nominee Lorraine Serabian.
Also included will be The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry, The Case of the Crusted Petunias, and This Property is Condemned.
Hello from Bertha: Written in 1946, the story takes place in a bedroom of an East St. Louis brothel. Bertha, a prostitute, is very sick and has been lying in bed for two weeks. Goldie, the madam, needs the room for business. She wants Bertha to leave, and tells her to go back home or to a hospital. Bertha is very much alone. In her delirium, Bertha relives the moments of her past love, Charlie, as well as former events and delusions.
A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot: Written in 1958, it’s a delightful short play about two fading, overdressed ladies of a certain age, who are members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the “Sons of Mars” and hit the city of St. Louis for the annual convention. However, in their search for “men” and a “good time,” they get separated from their party and wind up in a third-rate bar, drinking beer, and trying hard to be cheerful. Each is soon finding fault with the other and they are resigned to having a miserable time, when all of a sudden, the doors burst open and a pair of “Sons of Mars,” leapfrog in to save these damsels-in-distress.
“When I was given a scene from Hello From Bertha in acting class, little did I know of the journey I was about to embark on. I just knew I had to play the role of Bertha. It became an ‘idée fixe,'” comments Ms. Gut.
Cast members include: Lena Clark, Patricia Clune, Jen Fellman, Melanie Futorian, Brandon Grimes, Michael S. Horowitz, Elizabeth Maille, Jason Min, Katherine O’Sullivan, Maria Sivakova, Natapong Theansawatkit, and
Cory Walker.
Location: HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street, West Village/NYC
Tickets at a suggested donation of $15, at http://hellobertha.eventbrite.com
About Producer Nicole Gut and Director Lorraine Serabian:
Founder of Pick Your Ear Productions, Nicole Gut studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and had performed in Evita and A Chorus Line in New Hampshire, prior to joining the European tour of Hair for eight months. An aficionado of Tennessee Williams, Nicole has been featured in Hello from Bertha and The Lady of Larkspur Lotion at Theatre 54, and most recently appeared in Never-the-less She Persisted at The Kraine Theatre and Book Club at The Barrow Group Mainstage Theatre. A prolific singer/songwriter and keyboardist, Nicole has played with various bands throughout Germany and Switzerland and has written a musical called Rockstar.
Lorraine Serabian has had a long and varied career in regional and international theatre, film and TV. With a degree in Theatre Arts from Hofstra University where she was honored with the George M. Estabrooke Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts, accompanied by a citation from the Congress of the United States, she created the role of The Leader in Hal Prince’s Zorba on Broadway, for which she received a Tony Award nomination and Outer Critics Circle Award. Grounded in the work of her teacher, Uta Hagen, her directorial approach is to enable actors to explore, thrive and take risks by teaching universal concepts and techniques. She fosters a nurturing approach to the craft of acting by insuring safety and trust in the growth process. Her recent credits in her ongoing acting career includes The Jim Gaffigan Show, Amy Poehler’s Difficult People, and a new musical TBA.
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