About This Show
The Cherry Lane Alternative, dedicated to the development of the American theater artist, presents their second annual Mentor Project. This program pairs some of America’s most renowned playwrights with today’s most promising new writers. Working together the plays develop from a series of readings and discussions into full productions. The shows will include:
Refreshment of the Spirit: Written by Anne Washburn, directed by Anne Kaufman, and mentored by Craig Lucas. A dark and comic play set during the Spiritualism craze in America at the end of the 19th Century. Isabella Ashcroft is seeking a husband; she goes to an amateur and makes a deal with the devil by mistake. When two men enter her life, one charming and one repulsive, she must choose between her belief in hope, and her belief in terror. April 26 – May 5
Aunt Pieces: Written by Rosemary Moore, directed by Michael Sexton, and mentored by A.R. Gurney. A woman in her sixties leaves the stagnant safety of a long-term halfway house and returns to her family home after decades away. Her effort to reclaim her place in the house disturbs the fragile equilibrium of her nephew and his children. May 10-19
Golem: Written by Gary Winter, directed Hayley Finn, and mentored by Alfred Uhry. In the myth of “The Golem”, Rabbi Loew creates a man of clay to defend the Jews of Prague in the sixteenth century. In this modern-day version, Gil Shamberg is dubbed a Golem in a Manhattan brothel. Endowed with the power to create himself in his own image, Gil becomes a monster of his fantasies. Mayhem ensues until Rachel enters his life, and then Gil must find a way to turn the Golem back to dust. May 24 – June 2
Lowell Limpett: Written by Ward Just, directed by Bob Gasper, and mentored by Wendy Wasserstein. Lowell Limpett is a famous newspaperman but lately the fame has worn thin. The newspaper has gotten away from him, too. His personal life is in some disorder. When he returns from a funeral of a much loved colleague, he discovers that his editor has plans for him, and these plans begin to look suspiciously like the velvet sheif reserved for former greats. June 7-16