Laurents' semi-autobiographical 2 Lives, in fact, kicks off the upcoming George Street season, playing Oct. 18-Nov. 13. Artistic director Saint will direct the play, which concerns "Matt Singer, a playwright in his 70s [who] happily works away at his latest script, reading his newest pages to longtime partner Howard Thompson. Family, friends and folks from the ambitious world of stage and screen have assembled for a celebration of Howard’s 65th birthday. But the weekend’s festivities are suddenly ended by an unexpected, shocking event." Aldredge, on Broadway this past season in the acclaimed revival of Twelve Angry Men, will star as playwright Singer.
The holiday hit Inspecting Carol will return to the George Street, playing Nov. 29-Dec. 31. First presented at the New Jersey theatre in 1998, the play of mistaken identity concerns a provincial regional theatre company who try to charm a National Endowment for the Arts evaluator with their production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. David Saint, who directed the 1998 production, will direct this staging as well.
The New Year at the George Street will open with Underneath the Lintel. Glen Berger's play, which was seen Off-Broadway at the Soho Playhouse, will run Jan. 10, 2006-Feb. 5. The drama, according to production notes, concerns "a clue scribbled in the margin [of an ancient book] and an unclaimed dry-cleaning ticket [that] sets [a Dutch] librarian off on a course that spans the globe and the ages, leading to an astonishing conclusion where facts and faith intersect."
The Afghan Women, by Emmy and Peabody Award winner William Mastrosimone, follows, playing Feb. 21-March 19. Women concerns the story of an Afghan doctor named Malalai, who was raised in the United States. When she returns to her homeland, Malalai finds "the impoverished orphanage she runs has fallen under the attack of a charismatic and powerful warlord. Desperate to save her young charges, the doctor must take part in a battle she never expected — and in doing so, offers her enemies the chance to reject their old ways and embrace the reality of a new Afghanistan."
The George Street season will conclude with Gunmetal Blues, the film noir musical comedy set in an airport hotel's piano bar. Two-time Tony nominee Alison Fraser will star in the musical, which features a book by Scott Wentworth and music and lyrics by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler. Gunmetal Blues will play the George Street April 4-April 30. The George Street Playhouse is located in New Brunswick, NJ at 9 Livingston Avenue. Call (732) 246-7717 for tickets or visit www.GSPonline.org.
