GSP's Star-Studded Annual Gala Sets Fundraising Records

• Annual Gala Benefit Raises Record-Setting Amount for George Street Playhouse’s Mainstage and Educational Programming
• New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill, DEVCO President Chris Paladino Highlight $190 Million Performing Arts Center to Serve as GSP’s Future Home
• Artistic Director David Saint, Marlene & Tony Volpe Honored at Event

(L to R) Stephen Bienskie, Sarah Litzsinger, George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint, and Colin Hanlon at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. Saint received the Arthur Laurents Award for Distinguished Artistic Achievement. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

New Brunswick, NJ (April 7, 2017) – George Street Playhouse announced today that its recent Annual Gala Benefit was the most successful in the event’s history, raising a record amount of funds in support of its mainstage and educational programming. The Gala took place at The Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick on Sunday, April 2, 2017, and featured many stars of the stage and screen as presenters and performers.

“Under the guidance of our Gala Chairperson Ken Fisher, an extraordinary Gala committee, our stalwart Board of Trustees, and our dedicated leadership and staff, the 2017 Gala exceeded all expectations,” said Kelly Ryman, Managing Director of the Playhouse. “As we celebrate our theatre’s bright future, the unprecedented success of the 2017 Gala is a testament to the unbending support of our patrons and community.

“We are thrilled to have them on the journey with us for the next two seasons and for the grand opening of our new home in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in 2019,” added Ryman.

The money was raised through Gala sponsorships, ticket and table sales and the event’s ever-popular silent auction. In addition, a live donation appeal raised money specifically for the Playhouse’s educational programs, including its popular Educational Touring Theatre, Summer Theatre Academy, acting classes and residencies. The live appeal, on its own, also raised an all-time record amount to support these important programs.

Among the highlights of the evening’s Cabaret were presenters Tim Daly (TV’s Wings, Madam Secretary), Tony Award-winning playwright Joe DiPietro, and stage and screen stars Betsy Aidem (Broadway’s All the Way) and Dan Lauria (TV’s The Wonder Years).

Actor Tim Daly (TV's "Wings", "Madam Secretary") speaks at George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Joe DiPietro, Tony Award-winning playwright for "Memphis" and a longtime friend of George Street Playhouse, speaks at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Broadway stars and George Street Playhouse favorites (L to R) Betsy Aidem and Nancy Opel at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by Jerry Dalia)

Actor Dan Lauria (TV's "The Wonder Years", Broadway's "Lombardi") speaks at George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Performers included Tony Award nominee Nancy Opel (Broadway’s Honeymoon in Vegas, Urinetown), who will be starring in GSP’s season-closing musical Curvy Widow, and stage and screen great Mary Beth Peil (Tony Award-nominated for Broadway’s The King and I; TV’s Dawson’s Creek and The Good Wife). Stars from George Street’s 2016-17 season including Suzzanne Douglas (American Son), and Ben Michael and Elise Vannerson from Daddy Long Legs also performed. A reunion of GSP’s 2004 production of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick...Boom! – Colin Hanlon, Sarah Litzsinger and Stephen Bienskie – performed “Louder Than Words” from that show.

Broadway's Nancy Opel, who will star in George Street Playhouse's season-closing musical "Curvy Widow," performs at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Stage and screen veteran and George Street Playhouse favorite Suzzanne Douglas performs during GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Stage and screen legend Mary Beth Peil (Tony Award-nominated for Broadway’s "The King and I"; TV’s "Dawson’s Creek", "The Good Wife") performs at George Street Playhouse's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

(L to R) Stephen Bienskie, Colin Hanlon and Sarah Litzsinger from George Street Playhouse’s 2004 production of Jonathan Larson’s "Tick, Tick...Boom!" reunited to perform “Louder Than Words” from that show during GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint received the Arthur Laurents Award for Distinguished Artistic Achievement in celebration of his 20th season as the Playhouse’s Artistic Director. It was presented by legendary screenwriter, film director and actress Elaine May.

The Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award was bestowed upon Marlene and Tony Volpe, longtime supporters of George Street Playhouse, by the namesake of the award, Governor Kean.

David Saint, celebrating his 20th season as George Street Playhouse Artistic Director, accepts the Arthur Laurents Award for Distinguished Artistic Achievement at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

(L to R) Tony and Marlene Volpe receive the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award from its namesake, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean during the Annual GSP Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

(L to R) Stephen Bienskie, Sarah Litzsinger, George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint, and Colin Hanlon at GSP's Annual Gala Benefit at The Heldrich Hotel, April 2, 2017. Saint received the Arthur Laurents Award for Distinguished Artistic Achievement. (Photo by David Kelly Crow)

Another highlight came when New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill and New Brunswick Development Corporation (DEVCO) President Christopher Paladino spoke about the plans for the new $190 million downtown performing arts center that will serve as George Street Playhouse’s new home starting with the 2019-20 season.

The black-tie evening drew corporate, civic and social leaders from throughout the region. Each year, the Gala raises hundreds of thousands of dollars to support George Street Playhouse’s world-class mainstage productions and nationally recognized educational programs. The silent auction is one of the highlights of the Playhouse’s Annual Gala, and offers luxury vacation trips, home furnishings, tickets to hard-to-get Broadway shows, fine dining experiences, top sports venues and much more.

Kenneth M. Fisher, Jr. of Hillsborough served as Benefit Chair. GSP Board Chair James Heston of Metuchen, and GSP Board President Penelope Lattimer of New Brunswick, served as Sponsorship Co-Chairpersons. Janice Haggerty of Bedminster, and Gabrielle Vajtay of Somerset served as Silent Auction Co-Chairpersons. W. Burton “Tripp” Salisbury of North Brunswick, and Janice Stolar of East Brunswick were Tickets & Tables Co-Chairpersons. Lora Tremayne of Somerset served as Journal Chairperson.

Rounding out the Annual Gala Benefit Committee were Joseph P. Benincasa, president & CEO of The Actors Fund and the 2016 Kean Award recipient; Joan Campbell of North Brunswick; Carol Hila of Woodbridge; Sharon Karmazin, president of The Karma Foundation; Jocelyn Schwartzman of East Brunswick; and Frances C. Stromsland, Ed.D., of Watchung.

Sponsors for the evening included The Family of Robert Wood Johnson, Jr., Marlene and Tony Volpe, Joan and Robert Campbell, James N. Heston, Sharon Karmazin, WithumSmith+Brown, PSE&G, TD Bank, Nassau Communications.

GSP's Summer Theatre Academy Moves to Lord Stirling Community School for 2017

• Classes Offer Engaging Environment for Exploration, Development and Collaboration for students ages 5 to 18, July 3 -July 28, 2017
• School within a half-mile of George Street Playhouse's current home
• Limited Number of Spots Available for a Fun, All-Day Theatre Camp for Youth and Teens

George Street Playhouse’s popular Summer Theatre Academy for students age 5-18, will take place July 3-28, 2017, at Lord Stirling Community School in New Brunswick, N.J. (Photo by Brad Reznick) 

New Brunswick, NJ – With George Street Playhouse temporarily relocating during the construction of its new home in downtown New Brunswick, its popular Summer Theatre Academy will take place July 3-28 at nearby Lord Stirling Community School. The Academy celebrates creative expression and provides a fun, engaging environment for youth and teens to explore theatre, develop self-confidence and collaborate with others. These affordable two- and four-week classes are for budding thespians of any experience level ages 5-18.

Class hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and extended-care packages offering the convenience of early drop-off and late pick-up for busy parents are available. A 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, modern facilities and the quality of its programs have made GSP’s Summer Theatre Academy a popular summertime destination. Plus, each class culminates with a performance for family and friends.

“We’re so fortunate to be at Lord Stirling Community School this summer,” said Jim Jack, GSP’s Director of Education and Outreach. “Lord Stirling has excellent facilities with modern amenities, easy drop-off, and is located only a half-mile away from George Street Playhouse’s current home. We are thrilled to provide the same high-level quality of programming that our students and parents expect from us this summer.”

For information on the full slate of classes offered by GSP’s Summer Theatre Academy, or to register, visit www.GSPonline.org or call 732-846-2895, x117. George Street Playhouse will soon be announcing the location of a temporary home for its administrative offices and performance space while a new performing arts center, scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 season, is built at its former location in downtown New Brunswick. Lord Stirling Community School is located at 101 Redmond Street in New Brunswick.

Two-week programs for students ages 5-8:

Song as Stories explores how songs tell stories. Students will play exciting games, create wonderful characters and learn the basics of musical theatre. On the final day of the program, students will perform their songs and stories for family and friends. Songs as Stories runs from July 3 through July 14.

Junior Company cultivates students’ imagination and spirit of fun. Inspired by a classic children’s story, students will learn the foundations of theatre by creating an original play, developing characters and participating in the design process. The class will culminate with a performance for family and friends. Junior Company runs July 17 through July 28.

Two- and four-week programs* for students ages 9-12:

Rising M Company: Musical Theatre explores the joy of musical theatre through the rehearsal and performance of a popular musical. Our team of theatre professionals will inspire confidence each step of the way as students develop singing, dancing and acting techniques that will culminate in a performance for family and friends. Rising M Company: Musical Theatre runs July 3 through July 28.

Rising Company: Play Production ventures into a fun, mythic world of imagination to develop, rehearse and perform an original, action-packed play. Students learn the foundations of acting through improvisation, character development and collaborative activities as they create a performance to share with family and friends. Rising Company: Play Production runs July 17 through July 28.

(* As these programs run concurrently, a student may only register for one of the two courses offered for that age group.)

Four-week program for students ages 13-18:

Young M Company students create, rehearse and perform an original play with music. Starting with exciting source material, Young M Company works with professional playwrights, composers and choreographers to develop characters, write songs and stage the action. Young M company provides students with a fun, imaginative opportunity to develop acting, singing and collaborative skills. On their last day, students perform their original play for family and friends. Young M Company runs July 3 through July 28.

About GSP’s Educational Programming
The centerpiece of George Street Playhouse’s educational programming is its touring theatre, which commissions and produces first-class productions with relevant themes for young audiences, such as respect, conflict resolution, health and wellness, and climate change. Each play is followed by a post-play discussion providing excellent starting points for engaging classroom conversations that can be used to fulfill New Jersey Common Core State Standards. GSP’s Educational Touring Theatre features three issue-oriented productions seen by more than 40,000 students annually during the academic year. GSP’s Theatre Academy, which offers classes throughout the year, focuses on the process of creative self-expression – enhancing students’ artistry and creative problem-solving skills, while building self-esteem and a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts. For further information on any of GSP’s educational opportunities, visit www.GSPonline.org, email education@georgestplayhouse.org, or call 732-846-2895, extension 117.

GSP to honor The Actors Fund and its President & CEO Joseph P. Benincasa

The Actors Fund and its President & CEO Joseph P. Benincasa to Receive Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award at George Street Playhouse Annual Gala Benefit on May 22

Black-Tie Fundraiser to Feature Performances from Stars of Stage and Screen

Joseph P. Benincasa
(Courtesy The Actors Fund)

New Brunswick, NJ--New Brunswick’s George Street Playhouse celebrates the end of another successful season on Sunday, May 22, with its Annual Gala Benefit. As part of the celebration, the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award will be conferred upon The Actors Fund and its President and Chief Executive Officer, Joseph P. Benincasa, by the former Governor himself. The inaugural award was given to Governor Kean in 1990 and was named in his honor to pay tribute to an individual, corporation or foundation whose dedication to the arts enhances the cultural life of the citizens of New Jersey. 

“This year, we are elated to honor The Actors Fund and its President and CEO, Joseph Benincasa, with the Thomas H. Kean Arts Advocacy Award,” said George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint. “He is a long-time friend and supporter of the Playhouse with strong ties to New Brunswick, and The Actors Fund has been invaluable to so many of those who work in the performing arts and entertainment industry.”

The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that helps everyone — performers and those behind the scenes — who works in performing arts and entertainment.  Serving professionals in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance, The Fund’s programs include social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and employment and training services.  The Actors Fund has been — for 134 years — a safety net for those in need, crisis or transition.

Mr. Benincasa, who joined The Actors Fund in 1989, oversees innovative programs, including comprehensive social services, health care services, employment and training, and affordable, supportive and senior housing. He is also President of the Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation which builds affordable, supportive and senior care residences for artists in major urban centers.

He serves on the boards of directors of several organizations, including Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Learning Ally, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, among others. He has been recognized with several honors, including The Actors Fund Medal of Honor, Tony Honors Award, New Jersey Legislature Excellence in Arts Award and inaugural Made in New York Award. 

Kenneth M. Fisher, Jr. of Hillsborough serves as Benefit Chair. Commemorative Journal Chairpersons are Jocelyn Schwartzman of East Brunswick and Lora Tremayne of Somerset. James Heston of Metuchen and Penelope Lattimer of New Brunswick serve as co-chairs of the Sponsorship Committee, and Janice Stolar of East Brunswick is Tables Chair.

Janice Haggerty of Bedminster and Gabrielle Vajtay of Somerset serve as Auction Co-Chairpersons. The silent auction is one of the highlights of the Playhouse’s Annual Gala, and offers luxury vacation trips, home furnishings, tickets to hard-to-get Broadway shows, fine dining experiences, top sports venues and much more.  

Patrons attending GSP’s Gala have come to expect stellar performances during the evening’s Cabaret and this year should prove no exception. Past performers have included Constantine Maroulis, David Hyde Pierce, Rita Moreno, Bernadette Peters, Tyne Daly, Sandy Duncan, Kelly Bishop, Brian d’Arcy James, Alison Fraser, Penny Fuller, Anne Jackson, Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, Lauren Bacall and Chita Rivera, among others. This year’s performers will be announced at a later date.

The Black Tie affair at The Heldrich (located on Livingston Avenue directly across the street from George Street Playhouse) begins at 5 pm with a cocktail reception and silent auction. Dinner follows at 6:30 pm with the Cabaret performance commencing at 7:30.  Sponsorship opportunities, tables of 10, and individual tickets are available. For further information contact Jacqueline Brendel at (732) 846-2895, ext. 141.

About George Street Playhouse
In the 42 years since its founding, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Its leadership consists of Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Managing Director Kelly Ryman. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the recent Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse has been represented by two productions in New York: the recent Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You, and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies, which opened off-Broadway in October. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

George Street Playhouse Announces Casting for "Nureyev's Eyes"

George Street Playhouse Brings Ballet & Hollywood Star Rudolf Nureyev and Famed Artist Jamie Wyeth to the Stage in David Rush’s NUREYEV’S EYES

February 2-21, 2016

William Connell to play artist Jamie Wyeth; Bill Dawes to play ballet & Hollywood star Rudolf Nureyev

New Brunswick, NJ -- George Street Playhouse today announced the cast of David Rush’s Nureyev’s Eyes, which runs February 2 through February 21 at the New Brunswick theatre. Bill Dawes will portray Russian defector and star of ballet and screen, Rudolf Nureyev; William Connell will play painter Jamie Wyeth, the son of famed artist Andrew Wyeth and grandson of illustrator N.C. Wyeth. The production will be helmed by George Street Playhouse Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro.

“I am thrilled to welcome William and Bill to George Street Playhouse,” said Mastro. “Audiences can expect to see these two talented, versatile actors perform with the energy and passion necessary to truly bring these two perfection-seeking artists to life on stage.”

Nureyev’s Eyes – the top prize winner at both Dayton Playhouse’s FutureFest and Firehouse Theatre’s Festival of New American Plays in 2012 -- is a riveting fictional account of the very real interaction between two great artists. Beginning in 1977 and lasting over a period of several years, Wyeth produced hundreds of paintings and drawings of Nureyev. Fighting personal demons and demanding perfection, the two developed a friendship that transcended their differences and lasted until the end of Nureyev’s storied career and too-short life in 1993. Struggling to capture the icon on paper and canvas, Wyeth is not satisfied until an unexpected breakthrough provides new inspiration – opening his eyes to what is right in front of him.

Nureyev was a frequent guest of Wyeth and his wife at their family farm in Chadds Ford, Pa., where the Brandywine River Museum of Art features galleries showcasing works by the Wyeth family. Jamie Wyeth is still very active and appeared at the museum a year ago, in conjunction with a special exhibition of his work.

Connell

Individual tickets, starting at $25, are now on sale, as are 3-play-subscription packages. Contact the George Street Playhouse Box Office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org for tickets and information. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in heart of New Brunswick’s vibrant downtown dining and entertainment district, steps away from plentiful parking and dining options for every palate and pocketbook.

Opening night, set for Friday, February 5, 2016, is sponsored by by The Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation.

William Connell’s New York City credits include A View from the Bridge (2010 Broadway revival); The Coast of Utopia (Lincoln Center); Alphabetical Order (Keen Company). Regionally, he has appeared in One Man, Two Guvnors (Berkeley Rep, South Coast Rep, Pioneer Theatre); Hamlet (Aspen Music Festival); The Hour of Feeling (Humana Festival); The Winslow Boy and The Mousetrap (Rep Theatre of St. Louis), The 39 Steps (Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival); Bell, Book and Candle (San Francisco Playhouse); and The Importance of Being Earnest (Gulfshore Playhouse), among others. His film and television appearances include Manhattan Love Story, MA, Smash, Not Fade Away, Gossip Girl, Law & Order, and Guiding Light.

Dawes

Bill Dawes is a three-time Broadway veteran, most recently appearing as Mickey Mantle in Bronx Bombers. He has appeared in a dozen off-Broadway productions, and many more at esteemed regional theatres like Williamstown, Ford's Theatre and Dallas Theatre Center. His television credits include Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Damages, The Following, Royal Pains, Sex and the City, and many more. His fifth lead role in a feature film will be in the award-winning Before the Sun Explodes. As a comic, Bill has performed all over the world, including tours of Iraq and Afghanistan with the USO, and has his own channel of comedy videos at http://www.laughfactory.com/BillDawes and on YouTube.

David Rush has written plays produced at such theaters as American Stage, Stage Left, Mark Taper Forum, GeVa Theater, and Manhattan Theater Club, among others. His work has won or placed in national contests and has earned a variety of awards, including several Chicago Jeffs, a Los Angeles Drama Logue and two Midwest Emmies. He has received Illinois Arts Council grants and was a writer in residence at the Inge Center in 2010. His books, A Student Guide to Play Analysis and Building Your Play, are used by many colleges and universities.

Michael Mastro will be directing his third mainstage production at George Street, after previously helming The Fabulous Lipitones in 2014 and The Subject Was Roses with Stephanie Zimbalist in 2011. He also directed a celebrity play reading of Matt Hoverman’s Thrillsville with a cast featuring Edie Falco, Richard Kind and Grant Shaud at GSP in late 2015. He has also appeared on stage at George Street in such productions as The Sunshine Boys, The Pillowman, The Fox on the Fairway and Inspecting Carol. Last season, he directed Ingmar Bergman’s Nora at Delaware Theatre Company and he appeared in Ayckbourn’s The Things We Do For Love at the Westport Country Playhouse. In recent years, he has helmed several NYC celebrity play readings to benefit various nonprofits, working with actors like Zachary Quinto, Bernadette Peters, Jean Smart, Beau Bridges, Michael McKean, Stockard Channing, Melissa Leo, Laura Benanti, Cynthia Nixon, John Slattery and Cecily Strong. He served as associate director of the recent first national tour of West Side Story, helmed by GSP Artistic Director David Saint, and has directed many new American one-acts for several NYC theatre companies. As an actor, he works regularly on and off Broadway, regionally, and in film and TV, where he is currently recurring on Law and Order: SVU. Member: Actors Equity, SAG-AFTRA, SDC, Naked Angels, The Actors Center.

The set has been designed by Alexis Distler, who was an assistant on Broadway’s Act One, which earned a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design. The creative team also includes costume designer Esther Arroyo, lighting designer Christopher Bailey, and sound designer/original music composer Scott Killian – all of whom were part of the 2013 world premiere production of Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies with Marlo Thomas at George Street Playhouse as well as the current off-Broadway production of that show at New York City’s Westside Theatre.

About George Street Playhouse
In the 42 years since its founding, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Its leadership consists of Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Managing Director Kelly Ryman. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the recent Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse has been represented by two productions in New York: the recent Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You, and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies, which opened off-Broadway in October. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

###

Nureyev’s Eyes
by David Rush
directed by Michael Mastro
with William Connell and Bill Dawes

February 2 – 21, 2016

Opening night, sponsored by The Merrill G. & Emita E. Hastings Foundation:
Friday, February 5, 2016

George Street Playhouse
9 Livingston Avenue • New Brunswick
Box Office 732-246-7717 • www.GSPonline.org

Vote for GSP in the BroadwayWorld New Jersey Awards!

George Street Playhouse has received 18 nominations in this year's BroadwayWorld New Jersey Regional Awards, honoring productions during our 2014-15 Mainstage season. Nominations were reader-submitted and confirmed for eligibility by BWW New Jersey staff.

Listed below are the nominees representing George Street Playhouse, including GSP's Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Production Manager Chris Bailey.

Best Actor in a Drama (Professional)

• John Bolger (Outside Mullingar) 
• John Tartaglia (Buyer and Cellar) 

Best Actor in a Musical Theater Production (Professional)

• Wade McCollum (Ernest Shackleton Loves Me) 

Best Actress in a Drama (Professional)

• Ellen McLaughlin (Outside Mullingar) 

Best Actress in a Musical Theater Production (Professional)

• Valerie Vigoda (Ernest Shackleton Loves Me) 

Best Director of a Drama (Professional)

• Michael Mastro (The Fabulous Lipitones) 
• David Saint (Buyer and Cellar)
• David Saint (Outside Mullingar) 
• Seret Scott (The Whipping Man) 

Best Director of a Musical Theater Production (Professional)

• Lisa Peterson (Ernest Shackleton Loves Me) 

Best Drama (Professional)

• John Markus & Mark St. Germain (The Fabulous Lipitones) 
• John Patrick Shanley (Outside Mullingar) 
• Jonathan Tolins (Buyer and Cellar) 

Best Lighting Design

• Chris Bailey (Buyer and Cellar) 

Best Musical Theater Production (Professional)

• Ernest Shackleton Loves Me 

Best Set Design

• R. Michael Miller (Outside Mullingar)

Best Sound Design

• Scott Killian (Outside Mullingar)

Best Theater Company (Ensemble)

• Ernest Shackleton Loves Me 

Voting runs through December 31. Winners will be announced in early January!

Don't miss out! Click on the link to vote today!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

George Street Playhouse Announces Cast for THE SECOND MRS. WILSON

TONY AWARD WINNER JOHN GLOVER (TV’s Smallville) and LAILA ROBINS (TV’s Homeland) to play Woodrow Wilson and Edith Galt in story of the REAL first female president

• George Street Playhouse to produce THE SECOND MRS. WILSON by Two-Time Tony Award Winner JOE DiPIETRO November 10-29 to be Directed by GORDON EDELSTEIN 
• Three Tony Award Winners grace cast of New Jersey Premier 
• Performances begin just after Election Day this November 

New Brunswick, NJ -- George Street Playhouse is excited to announce the Award-Winning cast of Joe DiPietro’s The Second Mrs. Wilson, to run at the New Brunswick theatre November 10-29. John Glover, a Tony Award winner for Love! Valour! Compassion! also known to TV audiences for portraying Lionel Luthor on the long-running television series, Smallville, and Laila Robins, well known for a role in the hit drama Homeland and for frequent performances at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, headline a cast featuring a number of veteran actors of stage and screen in this fascinating look at the real-life events in which a woman became the de facto President of the United States. Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre, helms the production. Tony Award winners Michael McGrath and Stephen Spinella join Sherman Howard, Richmond Hoxie and Stephen Barker Turner in rounding out the stellar cast.

“These actors are among the finest working today,” said George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint. “I am thrilled to welcome them and the very talented Gordon Edelstein to George Street, and into the world of this remarkable play by our good friend Joe DiPietro.“

Creating the world of the play are scenic designer Alexander Dodge (Tony Award nominations for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Present Laughter); costume designer Linda Cho (Tony Award winner for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder); lighting designer Ben Stanton (Tony Award nomination for Fun Home) and sound designer John Gromada (Tony Award nominee for The Trip to Bountiful).

Click for tickets and more information about the show

Individual tickets, starting at $28 are now on sale, as are subscription and flexible admission packages. Contact the George Street Playhouse Box Office at 732-246-7717 or visit www.GSPonline.org for tickets and information. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue in heart of New Brunswick’s vibrant downtown dining and entertainment district, steps away from plentiful parking and dining options for every palate and pocketbook. Consult www.GSPonline.org when planning your trip for helpful parking tips and restaurant recommendations.

ABOUT THE CAST

John Glover (President Woodrow Wilson) created the role of Woodrow Wilson in the play’s world premiere at Long Wharf Theatre. Shakespeare in the Park: Much Ado About Nothing. Broadway: Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, The Royal Family, Waiting for Godot (Tony nomination), The Drowsy Chaperone, Love! Valour! Compassion! (Tony and Obie Awards), The Great God Brown (Drama Desk Award). Off-Broadway: Nikolai and The Others, The Atmosphere of Memory, Secrets of the Trade, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, The Paris Letter (Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Drama League Nominations), Sorrows and Rejoicings, Give Me Your Answer, Do! Long Wharf Theatre: The Skin of Our Teeth, Yegor Bulychev, The Doctors Dilemma, Juno and the Paycock, TV: 5 Emmy Nominations. Film: Love! Valour! Compassion!, Scrooged, Batman and Robin, Gremlins II, Julia, and Annie Hall.


Sherman Howard (Senator Henry Cabot Lodge) Broadway: All My Sons and Inherit The Wind. Off-Broadway: Another Part of the Forest (Peccadillo Theatre), Tell Out My Soul (Public Theatre), Geography of a Horse Dreamer, The Lady Or the Tiger, The Crate (EST), I'm Not Rappaport (Roundabout). National Tour: Sweet Bird of Youth (with Lauren Bacall). Regional: The Price (Pittsburgh Public), Sheridan (La Jolla), Nine Armenians (Intiman ), The Front Page, Andronicus: A Space Musical, Getting Out (Actors Theatre of Louisville), The Contractor, The Collection, The Merchant of Venice (ACT). Television: Seinfeld, ER, Cold Case, Star Trek, Superboy, The Stand, Op Center, Good and Evil, Law and Order, et al.


Richmond Hoxie (Vice President Thomas Marshall) performed on Broadway and the national tour of I’m Not Rappaport. His other national tour credit is Butley. He appeared Off Broadway in The Film Society, Lenin’s Embalmers, The Dining Room, Vienna: Lusthaus (revisited), Landscape with Waitress, Justice, Louis Slotin Sonata, Waiting for Godot, and Angel Street. His regional performances include Light Up the Sky (La Jolla Playhouse), The Crucible (Hartford Stage), Amadeus, Twelve Angry Men, and Secret Order (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Travels with My Aunt (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Inspecting Carol (Bay Street Theater), and Loot and Council of Thirty (George Street Playhouse). His film work includes JFK, Still of the Night, For Love or Money, and My Own Love Song. His television credits include Boardwalk Empire, China Beach, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Christine Cromwell, LA Law, Cosby and others.

Michael McGrath (Secretary Joe Tumulty) won a Tony Award for his performance in Nice Work If You Can Get It on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Born Yesterday, Memphis, Is He Dead?, Spamalot (Tony Award nomination), Wonderful Town, Little Me, Swinging On A Star (Theatre World Award), The Goodbye Girl and My Favorite Year. Michael also appeared in the City Center Encores! productions of Follies, The Boys from Syracuse, and DuBarry Was A Lady. His off-Broadway credits include: The Cocoanuts, The Butter And Egg Man, Game Show, Louisiana Purchase and Forbidden Broadway. Michael has appeared on television in The Martin Short Show. His film credits include: The Interpreter, Changing Lanes and Ira and Abby.

Laila Robins (Edith Bolling Galt) Broadway: Heartbreak House, Frozen (Lucille Lortell nomination for Best Supporting Actress), The Herbal Bed and The Real Thing. Off-Broadway and national tour: Mrs. Klein, opposite Uta Hagen (Joseph Jefferson Award; Helen Hayes Award nomination); New York credits: Anthony and Cleopatra, Sore Throats (Lucille Lortell Award nomination for Best Actress), The Film Society,Tiny Alice, The Merchant of Venice (Calloway Award), The Extra Man and Bloody Poetry. Eleven Seasons at Shakespeare Theatre of NJ including A Streetcar Named Desire, The Cherry Orchard, Macbeth, King John, Three Sisters, The Homecoming, Electra, The Comedy of Errors, Arms and the Man, The Seagull and Twelfth Night. Regional credits: Hedda Gabler, Summer and Smoke, Antony and Cleopatra and the world premiere of Arthur Miller’s Resurrection Blues (Guthrie Theater); Skylight (Mark Taper Forum; Drama-Logue Award); A Streetcar Named Desire (Steppenwolf Theatre; Jefferson Award); and Fiction and Fool for Love (McCarter Theatre). Film and television credits include: Homeland; Murder in the First; Person of Interest; Damages; Blue Bloods; The Good Wife; The Good Shepherd (directed by Robert De Niro); True Crime; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael; Bored to Death; In Treatment; God in America; 30 Rock; Gabriel’s Fire; Book of Daniel; Sex and the City; all three Law & Orders; and The Sopranos. She received her M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama, and coaches privately in NYC.

Stephen Spinella (Colonel Edward House) is a two-time Tony Award winner who has performed in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Angels in America: Perestroika, A View from the Bridge and Spring Awakening. His TV work includes Royal Pains, Desperate Housewives and 24, and his film credits include Cradle Will Rock and Love! Valour! Compassion! (with John Glover).

Stephen Barker Turner (Dr. Cary Grayson) Off-Broadway: Michael Frayn’s Benefactors, The Keen Company; Race, Classic Stage Company; All My Sons, Roundabout Theatre Company; Richard III, All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, New York Shakespeare Festival; A Letter from Ethel Kennedy, MCC Theater; Lips, Primary Stages. Regional: Premieres of Dead Accounts, The Scene and The Novelist, all by Theresa Rebeck; premieres of The Evildoers by David Adjmi and Compulsion by Rinne Groff, both at Yale Repertory Theatre; premiere of Gina Gionfriddo’s After Ashley, Humana Festival; among others. Television & Film: Seducing Charlie Barker (based on Rebeck’s The Scene), Cosmopolitan, We Pedal Uphill, Blair Witch 2, Warrior Class, Body of Proof (ABC); Blue Bloods (CBS); all three Law and Order franchises (NBC); Sex and the City (HBO); Hack (CBS); Swift Justice (UPN); One Life to Live and All My Children (ABC), among others.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Joe DiPietro is thrilled to be returning to George Street for his fifth show. Previously at George Street: The Toxic Avenger, Creating Claire, Clever Little Lies and Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for Memphis, which also received the 2010 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical. He received a Tony nomination & Drama Desk Award for Nice Work If You Can Get It. His Clever Little Lies, which stars Marlo Thomas and premiered at GSP in 2013, recently opened off-Broadway under the direction of GSP Artistic Director David Saint. Another recent work, Living on Love, a comedy starring Renée Fleming, debuted on Broadway earlier this year. He also wrote the long-running off-Broadway hits, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Over the River and Through the Woods.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Gordon Edelstein is in his 13th season as Long Wharf Theatre’s Artistic Director. In addition to his recent work on the world premiere of Athol Fugard’s Have You Seen Us? and his own adaptation of A Doll’s House, Mr. Edelstein directed Coming Home at Berkeley Rep and Long Wharf Theatre’s production of The Glass Menagerie, starring Judith Ivey, at the Roundabout Theatre. As a director, he has garnered three Connecticut Critics Circle Awards and during his tenure at Long Wharf, the theatre has produced world premieres by Athol Fugard, Paula Vogel, Craig Lucas, Julia Cho, Noah Haidle, Dael Orlandersmith, and Anna Deavere Smith. Over the course of his career, he has also directed and/or produced premieres by Philip Glass, Arthur Miller, Paula Vogel, Donald Margulies, James Lapine, Charles Mee, Mac Wellman, and Martin McDonagh, among many others, and has directed an extremely diverse body of work from Sophocles to Pinter, and from Shakespeare to Beckett.

ABOUT GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE

In the 42 years since its founding, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Its leadership consists of Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Managing Director Kelly Ryman. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the recent Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse has been represented by two productions in New York: the recent Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You, and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies, which opened off-Broadway in October. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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The Second Mrs. Wilson
By Joe DiPietro
Directed by Gordon Edelstein

With John Glover, Sherman Howard, Richmond Hoxie, Michael McGrath, Laila Robins, Stephen Spinella and Stephen Barker Turner

The Second Mrs. Wilson is sponsored by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

November 10-29, 2015

George Street Playhouse • 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Box Office 732-246-7717 • www.GSPonline.org

George Street Playhouse celebrates healthy kids in the arts Sept. 19

George Street Playhouse presents "Be Unstoppable: A Celebration of Healthy Kids in the Arts" on Sept. 19

FREE interactive activities, nutritious food and performances by GSP’s Educational Touring Theatre and American Repertory Ballet highlight special Hub City Sounds event

The 2014-15 George Street Playhouse Educational Touring Theatre cast in "Austin the Unstoppable." (Photo by David Kelly Crowne)

New Brunswick, NJ -- George Street Playhouse is proud to host “Be Unstoppable: A Celebration of Healthy Kids in the Arts” as part of the New Brunswick Cultural Center’s Hub City Sounds Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event, which also serves as the official “kick-off” of a collaboration between The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and George Street Playhouse for Austin the Unstoppable, will feature a performance by GSP’s Educational Touring Theatre of Austin on the Playhouse’s Mainstage at 10:30 a.m. The day also includes interactive activities, a healthy lunch and an afternoon performance by American Repertory Ballet dancers.

An original GSP musical promoting health and wellness, Austin the Unstoppable is the tale of an 11-year-old gamer and junk-food junkie who – along with his family – must face the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle when his mother is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The production explores the challenges the family must face when having to make healthy choices together.

The musical, with book and lyrics by Barry Wyner and music by Daniel Israel, was commissioned by George Street Playhouse through the Victoria J. Mastrobuono New Work Development Program, Bristol-Myers Squibb and The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. Research for the development of Austin the Unstoppable was provided by Shaping NJ. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is the presenting sponsor of the production, providing $550,000 in grants to make it possible for Austin to tour in schools statewide.

The show is stage managed by Erica Leigh, and features the talents of Alexa Adderley, Kirk Geritano, Alexa Johnson and James Ross. (A PDF with detailed show information, including cast and crew bios, can be downloaded here.)

Immediately following the performance, a discussion with the audience about topics and issues explored during the performance will take place in the Mainstage theatre. A free healthy lunch and dessert bar catered by Elijah’s Promise follows in the Playhouse’s Cabaret, with activity and information tables available to guests.

The event is capped off at 12:30 p.m. by American Repertory Ballet dancers who will present Grumpy Bird, a children's ballet based on the children’s book by Jeremy Tankard that is choreographed by Matthew Keefe and set to music by Mozart, and Mary Barton’s Once Upon a Summer’s Day.

The performance will mark the fourth consecutive year that GSP’s Educational Touring Theatre has participated in the Hub City Sounds Festival. For further information on this and other GSP Touring Theatre performances, contact GSP’s Education Department at (732) 846-2895, ext. 117, or education@georgestplayhouse.org.

GSP Adds 'The Second Mrs. Wilson' To Revised 2015-16 Schedule; Single Tickets On Sale Aug. 10

• Joe DiPietro’s Fascinating History Play, The Second Mrs. Wilson, Completes George Street Playhouse’s 2015-16 Season
• DiPietro Play to Take Second Slot in Season, directed by GORDON EDELSTEIN
• My Name is Asher Lev will close season
• Individual Tickets for Entire Season Go On Sale MONDAY, AUGUST 10

New Brunswick, NJ – George Street Playhouse has announced that Joe DiPietro’s The Second Mrs. Wilson will occupy the previously to-be-announced slot in the New Brunswick theatre’s 2015-16 season. Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director of New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre, will helm the production, which will play New Brunswick in advance of an anticipated New York run in 2016. Casting will be announced at a later date.  It will run November 10-29, taking the slot previously occupied by My Name is Asher Lev. Aaron Posner’s adaptation of the Chaim Potok novel instead will end George Street’s 2015-16 season, running April 12 – May 1, 2016.  

“We are so excited to welcome Joe DiPietro in his fifth production at George Street, “ said Artistic Director David Saint. “I am equally as thrilled to welcome Gordon here to direct – I have wanted to get him to come to New Brunswick for some time. And with the possibility of a female president in the future, the show is timely as well."

Full season and flexible admission packages for George Street Playhouse’s season are currently on sale. Individual tickets for each of the theatre’s five productions will go on sale Monday, August 10. For tickets and information contact the George Street Playhouse Box Office, 732-246-7717, or visit www.GSPonline.org. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, in the center of New Brunswick’s lively downtown, steps away from plentiful parking and dining options for every palate and pocketbook. Visit GSPonline.org to help plan your visit.

The Second Mrs. Wilson is the story of the woman who many believe served as the first female President. It is April 1915.  President Woodrow Wilson (former New Jersey Governor and Princeton University President), reeling from the loss of his wife, meets, falls in love with and marries Edith Galt.  She very quickly becomes important – and influential – to her husband, and inconvenient to his circle of advisors.  With the first World War looming, the President falls ill, and it is left to Edith to outsmart the men of Washington who would derail her beloved husband’s dream of world peace and the League of Nations. But will her unstinting devotion to her husband’s ideals be their downfall?  A fascinating look at the real-life events in which a woman became the de facto President of the United States, from the author of Clever Little Lies, Memphis and The Toxic Avenger.

Joe DiPietro  is thrilled to be returning to George Street for his fifth show. Previously at George Street: The Toxic Avenger, Creating Claire, Clever Little Lies and Ernest Shackleton Loves Me.  He is a two-time Tony Award winner for Memphis, which also received the 2010 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical. He received a Tony nomination & Drama Desk Award for Nice Work If You Can Get It.  His newest comedy, Living on Love, recently debuted on Broadway, starring Renée Fleming. He also wrote the long-running off-Broadway hits, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Over the River and Through the Woods.

Gordon Edelstein is in his 13th season as Long Wharf Theatre’s Artistic Director. In addition to his recent work on the world premiere of Athol Fugard’s Have You Seen Us? and his own adaptation of A Doll’s House, Mr. Edelstein directed Coming Home at Berkeley Rep and Long Wharf Theatre’s production of The Glass Menagerie starring Judith Ivey at the Roundabout Theatre. As a director, he has garnered three Connecticut Critics Circle Awards and during his tenure at Long Wharf Theatre, the theatre has produced world premieres by Athol Fugard, Paula Vogel, Craig Lucas, Julia Cho, Noah Haidle, Dael Orlandersmith, and Anna Deavere Smith. Over the course of his career, he has also directed and/or produced premieres by Philip Glass, Arthur Miller, Paula Vogel, Donald Margulies, James Lapine, Charles Mee, Mac Wellman, and Martin McDonagh, among many others, and has directed an extremely diverse body of work from Sophocles to Pinter, and from Shakespeare to Beckett.

Under his artistic leadership, Long Wharf Theatre has received 14 additional Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, including six best actor or actress awards in plays that he directed. He was also given the organization’s Tom Killen Award, given annually to an individual who has made an indelible impact on the Connecticut theatrical landscape. Mr. Edelstein has directed countless plays and workshops for Long Wharf Theatre including the world premieres of BFE (transfer to Playwrights Horizons), The Day the Bronx Died (transfer to NY and London), A Dance Lesson, and The Times, as well as We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, A New War, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Anna Christie,The Front Page, and Mourning Becomes Electra, starring Jane Alexander. Prior to assuming artistic leadership of Long Wharf Theatre, Mr. Edelstein helmed Seattle’s ACT Theatre for five years.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in History and Religious Studies from Grinnell College in 1976 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Grinnell College in 2003.

In the 42 years since its founding, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Its leadership consists of Artistic Director David Saint, Resident Artistic Director Michael Mastro and Managing Director Kelly Ryman. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the recent Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse is represented by two productions in New York: the current Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You, and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies, opening off-Broadway this fall. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Click image for PDF of season flyer