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| | Looking Over the President's Shoulder
by James Still
Starring Television Star Clarence Gilyard
When Alonzo Fields accepted a job as a butler at the White House in 1931, his plan was to work there for the winter. That winter lasted 21 years. Based on the real-life story of the grandson of a freed slave who grew up in an all-black town in southern Indiana, Fields is forced by the Depression to give up his dreams of becoming an opera singer and accept the job at the White House where he quickly was appointed Chief Butler and served four U.S. presidents and their families: Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Famous guests through the years included Winston Churchhill, Marian Anderson, Errol Flynn and the king and queen of England. As Fields says in the play: "It was like being in the front row and watching the passing parade of history..." Set on the eve of his last day on the job, Fields reflects on his 21 years of service to his country with humor and pride. He was a man with a story to tell and this tour-de-force for one actor gives Fields the chance to tell it. Culled from Fields' private papers, diaries and interviews, Looking Over the President's Shoulder has played at major theaters across the country including Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.
"...Still frames the story with Fields sitting on a bench opposite the White House, drinking in the view one final time while waiting for the bus that will take him to retirement. You won’t want him to go." Chicago Theatre Beat
"In its subtle avoidance of antagonism it favors being a character study rather than a morality play. Still demonstrates how tolerance develops into understanding; how the history many of us prefer to view as having a continuous upward momentum has regularly suffered from interruption and turbulence." NewCity Chicago
SUMMER 2021 Performances
Matinees (2pm): July 14, 24, 29
Evenings (7pm): July 7, 11, 16, 22, 31 | Buy tickets |
| | Baskerville: a Sherlock Holmes Mystery
by Ken Ludwig
Get your deerstalker cap on — the play’s afoot! Comedic genius Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic "The Hound of the Baskervilles" into a murderously funny adventure. Sherlock Holmes is on the case. The male heirs of the Baskerville line are being dispatched one by one. To find their ingenious killer, Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit, as five actors portray more than forty characters. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Join the fun and see how far from elementary the truth can be.
“Ingeniously funny … Ludwig has done a remarkable job adapting Doyle's story to the stage while putting his own twist on a classic.” Broadway World
“Comedy gold … [Baskerville] finds the perfect mix of slapstick and thrills.” Theatermania
“Side-splittingly funny.” Woman Around Town
SUMMER 2021 Performances:
Matinees (2pm): July 16, 21, 30
Evenings (7pm): July 8, 14, 18, 23, 28 | Buy tickets |
| | Daddy Long Legs
Music & Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Book by John Caird
Based on the novel by Jean Webster
Based on the classic novel which inspired the 1955 movie starring Fred Astaire—a beloved tale in the spirit of Jane Austen, the Brontë Sisters, and “Downton Abbey”—this heartwarming Cinderella story about a witty and winsome young woman and her mysterious benefactor has charmed audiences of all ages from Los Angeles to London.
“A GREAT TREAT!" The New York Times
“Whereas Wicked may have been the most successful musical of the first decade of the 21st century, in this century’s second decade, Daddy Long Legs will become much more deeply adored and cherished by women of all ages.” The Huffington Post
“An enchanting new musical with an exquisite score. Daddy Long Legs is AN ABSOLUTE CHARMER that’s perfect for date night and suitable for the whole family.” BroadwayWorld.com
SUMMER 2021 Performances:
Matinees (2pm): July 15, 22, 31
Evenings (7pm): July 9, 17, 24, 29 | Buy tickets |
| | Deathtrap
by Ira Levin
A diabolically clever, wildly popular stage & screen comedy-thriller!
Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a dry spell which has resulted in a string of failures and a shortage of funds. One day he receives a script from a student author — a thriller that Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential Broadway smash. Sidney’s plan, devised with his wife’s help, is to offer collaboration to the student for co-credit. Or is it? Deathtrap provides twists and turns of devilish cleverness, and offers hilariously sudden shocks in such abundance that audiences will be spellbound until the very last moment.
“Two-thirds a thriller and one-third a devilishly clever comedy… Suspend your disbelief and be delighted. Scream a little. It’s good for you.” — Cue Magazine
“The intricately fashioned plot contortions brought gasps, the comedy lines drew delighted chortles…” — Hollywood Reporter
SUMMER 2021 Performances:
Matinees (2pm): July 17, 23, 28
Evenings (7pm): July 10, 25, 21, 25, 30 | Buy tickets |