The Gallery Players presents The Actor’s Nightmare and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You By Christopher Durang September 9-24, 2006
“As is expected from The Gallery Players, this was a solid production….Sister Mary…lands several solid punches” - Off-Off Broadway Review
View images from this production.
Kicking off its 40th season, The Gallery Players, Brooklyn’s premier Off-Off Broadway theater, presents a double-bill of one-act plays by Christopher Durang: The Actor’s Nightmare and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You. September 9-24, 2006, directed by Doug Howe.
In 1989, this hilarious double-bill of one-act plays was the inaugural production in the 99-seat Park Slope venue that remains The Gallery Players’ home to this day. The Actor’s Nightmare is a hilarious satire detailing the plight of a stranger who is suddenly pushed on stage to replace an ailing actor. In Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, the titular Sister, a teaching nun who is much concerned with sin in all of its various forms, delivers a cautionary lecture to her charges. But when several of her former students turn up the picture darkens, along with Sister Mary’s indignation.
Director Doug Howe notes, “What makes Durang unique is the sharpness of his wit - he uses his pen as a knife to cut through cultural taboos and traditions. It is often said that humor comes from pain, and Durang is no stranger to the absurd (and often cruel) contradictions of life. Someone once described him as a sinister alter boy, but perhaps he’s more of an exorcist - not only does he cast out demons but he invites an audience to watch.”
Cathy Bencivenga is Producer of The Actor’s Nightmore and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You; Doug Howe directs; Scenic Design by Joseph Trainor; Costume Design by Jessa-Raye Court; Lighting Design by Travis I. Walker; Sound Design by Steve Sabaugh; Erika Omundson is Production Stage Manager. The cast includes B. Brian Argotsinger, Nat Cassidy, Whitney Kirk, Gael Schaefer, Sarah Beth-Lee Williams, and Austin Zambito-Valente.
Located in Park Slope, but beloved on both sides of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Gallery Players have been called “local heroes” by Time Out New York and past productions have been featured in the New York Daily News, The New York Times, and earned the praise of respected theater artists such as Terrence McNally, Rupert Holmes, Michael Butler, James Rado, André De Shields, Annie Golden, and Lorraine Serabian. An Equity Showcase House celebrating its 40th season, The Gallery Players’ exciting productions and nurturing atmosphere have attracted the best actors, directors, designers, and musicians in New York. Among the well-known alumni of The Gallery Players are actor and author Harvey Fierstein (Fiddler On The Roof, Hairspray, Torch Song Trilogy), John Rando (director of Broadway’s Urinetown), Diedre Goodwin (Chicago, Never Gonna Dance, Nine), Jennifer Barnhart (Avenue Q), Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd), and many other artists.
Further information can be found on The Gallery Players Home Page.
Individual tickets for each performance are $18 for Adults and $14 for Children 12 and under and Senior Citizens. Individual tickets can be purchased at www.galleryplayers.com or by calling (212) 352-3101. Performances take place Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8PM, and Sundays at 3PM.
The Gallery Players is located at 199 14th Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Take the F Train to 4th Avenue or the R Train to 9th Street. By car, take the BQE to Hamilton Avenue, and Hamilton Avenue to 14th Street.
