A six-show slate includes four world premieres and two Southeastern premieres, plus the sixth annual festival of readings of new plays — the 1st Stage New Works Festival.
Here's the Florida Stage season at a glance:
Bakersfield Mist
By Stephen Sachs
Oct. 19-Nov. 20
NNPN Rolling World Premiere
"Maude Gutman, an unemployed chain-smoking bartender living in a trailer park, bought the ugliest painting she could find at a thrift store for three bucks. Turns out it might be a Jackson Pollock worth millions. Lionel Percy, former curator of the Met, arrives to deliver the New York Art World's verdict. A rollicking comedy/drama, inspired by a true story, about the meaning of art and the class divide between the Average Joe and the world of 'East Coast elites.'"
Captiva
By Christopher Demos-Brown
Dec. 7, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012
World Premiere
"Valerie Cestar invites her family to their traditional island getaway to meet her fiancé and to find the imagined comfort of her youth. But family secrets, hidden insecurities and pent-up frustrations bubble to the surface in this hysterically funny dark comedy. A smash hit from this season's 1st Stage New Works Festival."
Fighting Over Beverley
By Israel Horovitz
Starring Frances Sternhagen
Jan. 18-Feb. 19, 2012
Southeastern Premiere
"A beautiful and funny romantic tale from the legendary playwright and author of Sins of the Mother. A love triangle between 70+-year-olds — Beverley, who came to America from England as a war-bride; Zelly, her fisherman-husband; and Archie, the Brit she jilted 53 years earlier." The play was seen at Florida Stage's 2011 1st Stage New Works Festival. Its world premiere (with a different cast) will be in Massachusetts in summer 2011. The Trouble With Doug
By Will Aronson & Daniel Maté
March 21-April 22, 2012
World Premiere
"What if your family was thrown together suddenly to deal with an alarming, unexplainable and downright awkward situation? In this laugh-out-loud musical, inspired by Franz Kafka's 'Metamorphosis,' Doug Gregory transforms from a healthy, happy young man into a giant slug. That's right, one foot, two eye-stalks, and ten thousand teeth...on his tongue. What's a family to do?"
The Americans From Across the Street
By Carter W. Lewis
May 9-June 10, 2012
World Premiere
"Derek has a Pulitzer Prize, but he's tired of a world that says, ' got mine, so screw everyone else.' His only source of pleasure is lurking alone on his porch, drinking Scotch and haranguing his neighbors. But when his sister arrives with her precocious daughter in tow, suddenly there are cupcakes, cannons and a dead lady on the lawn. It's wickedly funny and sharply pointed. Another audience favorite from the 2011 1st Stage New Works Festival."
The Bikinis-A New Musical
By Ray Roderick & James Hindman
With additional music by Joe Baker
June 20-Aug. 26, 2012
Southeastern Premiere
"You know the 'Jersey Boys' — now meet the Jersey girls! In 1964, four friends formed a group, and made it to the top as The Bikinis! Now, many years later, they are reunited to help the good people of Briny Breezes, whose multi-million dollar buyout has gone bye-bye. Join this nonstop celebration of song, filled with hits like 'Heat Wave,' 'It's in His Kiss,' 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' 'Under the Boardwalk,' 'It's Raining Men,' and many, many more."
Subscriptions are on sale for the 2011-2012 season. For more information, visit www.floridastage.org or call the box office at (561) 585-3433, (800) 514-3837 (outside of Palm Beach County) or the subscription office at (561) 582-7503.
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Florida Stage "develops and produces new plays in a passionate, intimate and caring environment, adhering to a standard of uncompromising excellence." Florida stage's producing director is Louis Tyrrell.
