PRODUCTION HISTORY:

2005 - present • 2003 - 2005 • 2000 - 2003 • 1997 - 2000 • 1995 - 1997

The Kid April 16 - May 29, 2009 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row Book by Michael Zam Music by Jack Lechner Lyrics by Andy Monroe Based on the book by Dan Savage Musical Staging by Josh Prince Directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Kevin Anthony, Zachary Berger, Susan Blackwell, Jane Brockman, Jill Eikenberry, Jeannine Frumess, Ann Harada, Tyler Maynard, Brooke Sunny Moriber, Justin Patterson, Christopher Sieber, Lucas Steele, Michael Wartella Winner of the 2009 BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, THE KID is based on the true story of what happens when sex columnist Dan Savage and his boyfriend decide to start a family. “""EFFERVESCENT! ENGAGING AND ON-KEY!"” - Brantley, The New York Times

A Lie of the Mind January 30 - March 30, 2009 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Sam Shepard    directed by Ethan Hawke featuring: Keith Carradine, Josh Hamilton, Marin Ireland Laurie Metcalf, Alessandro Nivola, Maggie Siff Frank Whaley, Karen Young Blinded by jealousy and rage, Jake believes he may have murdered his wife. While Jake seeks refuge in the home of his unstable mother, his brother Frankie goes to investigate and soon finds himself caught in the confusing currents of revenge and longing. A LIE OF THE MIND, noted by Shepard as "a love ballad, a little legend about love", depicts two families shaken by sudden violence. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play in 1986. “"SHEPARD'S RICHEST AND MOST PENETRATING PLAY! Hawke's cast leaps so high you may feel the safe, solid Earth receding beneath you!"” - Brantley, The New York Times

The Starry Messenger October 24 - December 19, 2009 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan featuring: Matthew Broderick, Stephanie Cannon, Kieran Culkin Merwin Goldsmith, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Grant Shaud J. Smith-Cameron, Missy Yager The Starry Messenger follows an astronomy teacher whose carefully circumscribed world is upended by an unexpected encounter that changes everything. Two-time Oscar nominee Kenneth Lonergan, in his highly-anticipated return to The New Group following the 1996 premiere of This is Our Youth, teams up with his childhood friend, two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick and Oscar-nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace). “"MATTHEW BRODERICK'S FINEST, MOST AFFECTING PERFORMANCE IN YEARS!"” - Brantley, The New York Times

Groundswell May 4 - June 27, 2009 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Ian Bruce    directed by Scott Elliot featuring: Larry Bryggman, David Lansbury, Souléymane Sy Savané On the barren, diamond-diving coast of South Africa, Johan and Thami, an ex-cop and a gardener from starkly contrasting backgrounds, maintain a beachfront guest lodge during the off-season while looking for a way out. When Smith, a retired businessman, shows up one foggy night, the two men think they've found an ideal investor for their scheme to buy into a government-run diamond concession. Soon, these rootless men find themselves in a power struggle fueled by greed, desperation and entitlement. GROUNDSWELL is a psychological thriller about hunger and hope, and the glittering promises of a transforming society. “"A cross between MAMET and FUGARD... A SUSPENSE-STOKED tale of DESPERATE MEN willing to go to DANGEROUS lengths to secure one last chance at a big prize. ENGROSSING and CRISPLY ACTED!"” - Isherwood, The New York Times

Mourning Becomes Electra January 27 - April 19, 2009 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row A Trilogy by Eugene O'Neill    Directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Carolyn Baeumler, Mark Blum, Joseph Cross, Susan Goodwillie, Mycah Hogan, Robert Hogan, Jena Malone, Patrick Mapel, Sean Meehan, Anson Mount, Phoebe Strole, Lili Taylor, John Wojda, Therese Barbato, Geoffrey Bryant Lili Taylor (Aunt Dan and Lemon, Say Anything, "Six Feet Under"), Jena Malone (Doubt, Saved!) and Joseph Cross (Milk, Running with Scissors) portray the toxic mother/daughter/son triangle in the revival of Eugene O’Neill’s masterpiece. In this sizzling re-imagining of The Oresteia, three plays combine to create an epic 4-hour journey. At the end of the Civil War, General Mannon's wife and daughter await his return with very different agendas. When battle-scarred son Orin arrives, he finds his house divided. A classic tragedy of Freudian proportions, MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA is a tale of adultery, obsession and madness. “Magnificently wrought in style and structure... MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA is an occasion for great rejoicing. It is O'Neill's finest tragedy.” - Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times

Mouth To Mouth October 21 - December 6, 2008 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Kevin Elyot    directed by Mark Brokaw featuring: Christopher Abbott, David Cale, Lisa Emery, Darren Goldstein, Elizabeth Jasicki, Andrew Polk, Richard Topol Frank, a gay writer living with AIDS, attends a party at his friend Laura's house to celebrate the return of her teenage son from abroad. As the story shifts back and forth through time, it's clear that Frank may have played an unscrupulous part in the unraveling of his best girlfriend's family. Nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play, Kevin Elyot's West End smash is a haunting, twisting tale of undeclared passion and the fine line between intimacy and betrayal. “Kevin Elyot shares Chekhov's sense of life as a tragic comedy and conveys it through beautifully written, often funny encounters that throb with isolation and longing.” - The New York Times

Rafta, Rafta... April 16 - June 7, 2008 Extended at the Acorn Theatre through June 28, 2008 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Ayub Khan-Din based on the play All In Good Time by Bill Naughton and directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Utkarsh Ambudkar, Satya Bhabha, Sarita Choudhury, Ranjit Chowdhry, Manish Dayal, Sakina Jaffrey, Sean T. Krishnan, Reshma Shetty, Alok Tewari, Alison Wright Recent winner of the 2008 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Rafta, Rafta... is a humorous tale of close-knit Indian family life in Britain. After their wedding feast, two nervous newlyweds are ready for some privacy, but the groom's father doesn't want the party to end and his brother won't let them be. Before long, the groom and his new bride begin to realize that having a honeymoon in his parents' house is not the ideal recipe for romance. Rafta, Rafta... is Ayub Khan-Din's comic look at the generational divide on sex and marriage. “In an era of faster-is-better entertainment, Rafta, Rafta... is notable for its winningly slow hand. Director Scott Elliott is at his best.” - Ben Brantley,The New York Times

Two Thousand Years January 15 - March 8, 2008 Extended at the Acorn Theatre through March 22, 2008 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Mike Leigh and directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Yuval Boim, David Cale, Laura Esterman, Jordan Gelbar, Merwin Goldsmith, Cindy Katz, Natasha Lyonee and Richard Masur Hot off their recent smash hit Abigail's Party, Artistic Director Scott Elliot re-teams with longtime collaborator Mike Leigh on his latest play, which had a sold-out run at London's National Theatre. Leigh's play tells how an assimilated Jewish family's quiet life in suburban London is upset when their son becomes seriously devout. “IT'LL RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN THEATRE! A WINNER! A funny, affecting play about faith and family and the nuttiness of each.” - Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News

Things We Want October 22 - December 15, 2007 Extended at the Acorn Theatre through December 22, 2007 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by Ethan Hawke featuring: Paul Dano, Peter Dinklage, Josh Hamilton, Zoe Kazan Three brothers at loose ends find themselves living together again in their childhood apartment, and wrestle with how to cope with the void left by their parents' deaths. A sweet and sour look at the illusions we have about what can make us happy, and what's actually within our power to change. “A HIGH-TESTOSTERONE equivalent of Crimes of the Heart... the HIGHEST COOL QUOTIENT of any show in town!” - Ben Brantley, The New York Times

Strangers Knocking May 14, 2007 - June 3, 2007 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Robert Tenges and directed by Marie Masters featuring: Talia Balsam, Mercer Boffey, Julie Halston, Stella Maeve, Michael Stahl-David, Jonathan Walker The New Group (naked) Strangers Knocking takes place on the day of Sophie's first big high school dance, as her budding sexuality throws into relief the strains in the marriage of her frustrated parents, and the rippling effects this has on all their relationships. Tenges captures the subtle tensions of the unspoken in a family.

Expats May 18, 2007 - June 3, 2007 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Heather Lynn MacDonald and directed by Ari Edelson featuring: Reiko Aylesworth, James Badge Dale, Jesse Hooker, Jay Klaitz, Matthew Rauch, Taylor Wilcox, Natalia Zvereva The New Group (naked) Expats, set in Moscow soon after the fall of the Soviet Union, is a compelling look at American twenty-somethings trying to make their mark amidst the sex, death, and corruption of Russia's emerging marketplace. The play follows the intersecting paths of a beer-selling entrepreneur, a young woman volunteer at an abortion clinic, and two cynical young journalists running an English-language tabloid, each of whom dig into the dark underbelly of the capitalist transition.

The Accomplices March 20, 2007 - May 5, 2007 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row By Bernard Weinraub, directed by Ian Morgan featuring: Catherine Curtin, Jon DeVries, Robert Hogan, Zoe Lister-Jones, David Margulies, Andrew Polk, Daniel Sauli, Mark Zeisler, Mark Zimmerman In 1940, Hillel Kook, a.k.a. Peter Bergson, arrives in the US fresh from the underground resistance in Palestine. He seeks aid for the rescue of European Jews from the Nazis. Bergson is shocked to find himself blocked by both the Roosevelt administration and the Jewish establishment. Veteran NY Times reporter Bernard Weinraub writes a blistering account of the fight to save millions, and the conspiracy of silence and inaction that continues to haunt us to this day. “Provocative, Intelligent, & Compelling.” -Daily News

The Fever January 9, 2007 - March 3, 2007 Extended at the Acorn Theatre thru March 9th, 2007 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row written and performed by Wallace Shawn directed by Scott Elliott An anonymous narrator wakes up in a war-torn country with a terrible fever, unable to reconcile the privilege he has enjoyed with his current surroundings. Shawn's brilliant play examines the links between the affluence many Americans take for granted and the horrors of poverty and suffering that haunt the lives of millions. “FIVE STARS! DON'T MISS IT!” - Time Out NY

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie September 20, 2006 - November 11, 2006 Extended at the Acorn Theatre thru December 9th, 2006 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row By Jay Presson Allen, directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Emily Bicks, Ritchie Coster, Lisa Emery, Betsy Hogg, Zoe Kazan, Caroline Lagerfelt, Cynthia Nixon, John Pankow, Caity Quinn, Matthew Rauch, Sarah Steele, Halley Wegryn Gross In a 1930s conservative Scottish girls' school, the students idolize their scandalously outspoken teacher, Miss Brodie, who preaches the value of art, passion, and daring. But while Brodie's protégées avidly follow her, her political ideals, personal rivalries and frank sensuality are increasingly in danger of destroying her and those around her. “Cynthia Nixon generates a glowing personal radience that attracts Brodie's students like a beacon of wisdom. Her Miss Jean Brodie remains a delightfully misleading lady.” -Michael Sommers, The Star-Ledger

Everythings Turning Into Beautiful July 17, 2006 - August 26, 2006 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, songs by Jimmie James directed by Carl Forsman featuring: Daphne Rubin-Vega and Malik Yoba Late one Christmas Eve in lonely New York City, a couple of down-on-their-luck songwriting partners, who are hitless, loveless and facing their forties, come together for a night of song-writing and soul-searching. "Beaucoup charm! The Chemistry between Daphne and Malik is off the charts." - Variety

Jayson with a Y June 1 - June 24 Lion Theatre, Theatre Row by Darci Picoult and directed by Sheryl Kaller featuring: Kevin Geer, Marin Hinkle, Daniel Oreskes, Maryann Plunkett, Miles Purinton, Alysia Reiner The New Group (naked) Jayson with a Y centers on two sisters in the midst of major changes in their lives, as they are forced to decide who will care for their suddenly orphaned nephew Jayson, who has Asperger's Syndrome. Though Jayson is in desperate need of a stable environment, the women and their reluctant husbands struggle with a new reality that threatens to unravel the promises they made to his mother and each other long ago. "Beautifully observed, 'Jayson' goes directly for emotional punch." - The New York Times

A Spalding Gray Matter May 3, 2006 - May 22, 2006 Extended one week thru May 27, 2006 Clurman Theatre, Theatre Row written and performed by Michael Brandt, directed by Ian Morgan The New Group (naked) A Spalding Gray Matter explores the curious story of Spalding Gray's illness, disappearance and assumed suicide through the eerily parallel events of author Michael Brandt's own experience. Melding the theatrical structure of Gray's monologues with his own sense of the ridiculous, Brandt seeks to understand what happened to Gray as a way to define what happened to himself. The result is a story about the consequences of illness and recovery on the human psyche. "COMPELLING AND IRASCIBLY HUMOROUS! BRANDT HAS A SUBTLE POWER THAT MAKES HIS PERSONAL EXAMINATION UNEXPECTEDLY UNIVERSAL." - Time Out New York's Jessica Branch

The Music Teacher, a Play/Opera February 22, 2006 - April 9, 2006 The Minetta Lane words by Wallace Shawn, music by Allen Shawn, directed by Tom Cairns featuring: Ross Benoliel, Mark Blum, Elisa Cordova, Jason Forbach, Wayne Hobbs, Lauren Jelencovich, Kristin Knutson, Kellie Overbey, Jeff Picón, Rebecca Robbins, Kathryn Skemp, Bobby Steggert, Kristina Valada-Viars, Sarah Wolfson. A unique blend of theatre and opera, The Music Teacher is a story of creation and sexual obsession in which a younger teacher and his brilliant female student conceive and perform a new opera. The company includes players from the arenas of theater and opera. "Prufrockian. Painfully Lovely...Funny and Moving." Marilyn Stasio, Variety

Abigail's Party November 14, 2005 - January 7, 2006 Extended for 13 weeks at the Acorn Theatre thru April 8th, 2006 Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row by Mike Leigh, directed by Scott Elliott featuring: Max Baker, Lisa Emery, Darren Goldstein, Elizabeth Jasicki, Jennifer Jason Leigh A biting satire only Mike Leigh could conceive, Abigail's Party is a dissection of British middle-class life in the 1970s. This tale of suburban London takes place over the course of one night and many cocktails. Romance, revelation and rude behavior follow as two gatherings in neighboring abodes are in full swing. "EXQUISITE!" - Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

All photos by Carol Rosegg
except Jayson with a Y & A Spalding Gray Matter by Monique Carboni.

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