Theater News

Jason Alexander, Gina Hecht to Star in El Portal Theatre’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue

Jason Alexander and Gina Hecht will star in Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue, to run April 21 – May 15 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Glenn Casale will direct the production.


Simon’s play revolves around the escalating problems of a middle-aged couple living on Second Avenue on the Upper East Side. Mel Edison (Alexander), has just lost his job after many years and now has to cope with being unemployed at middle age. This happens during an intense summer heat wave and a prolonged garbage strike, which just exacerbates Edison’s plight to no end as he and his wife Edna (Hecht) deal with noisy neighbors, loud sounds emanating from Manhattan streets, a robbery of their apartment in broad daylight, and more. Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Alexander is the artistic director of L.A.’s Reprise Theatre Company. He won the Tony Award for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway and his additional Broadway appearances include Merrily We Roll Along, The Rink, and Broadway Bound. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the long-running TV series Seinfeld.

Hecht’s stage credits include an LA Weekly Award-winning performance in Circle of Will, and Drama-Logue Award-winning turns in Night Owls and Wrestlers. In addition, she has been seen in such movies as Night Shift and Seven Pounds, as well as on such television shows as Mork and Mindy, Heartbeat, Life Goes On, The District, Any Day Now, and Seinfeld.

The creative team for the show will include Stephen Gifford (scenic design), Jared Sayeg (lighting design), and Kate Bergh (costume design).

For more information and tickets, click here.