Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody at Laboratory Theater

The first licensed production of Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody opens Jan. 17 at The Laboratory Theater of Florida in Fort Myers.
A mysterious invitation finds Blanche Dubois on a train to New Orleans. She shares the train with hard-drinking couple George and Martha who are intent on depleting the entire bar car while delivering scathing advice on life and marriage before it arrives at its destination. Upon arriving in New Orleans, Blanche runs into the smoldering Stanley Kowalski and the hapless Willie Loman. When you add in a folksy narrator and a mashup of movie and theater jokes, you get deliciously-satirical farce with some of the most recognizable characters of the twentieth century, all sharing the same stage.
Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody was written by Tim Sniffen, and the story was created by Tim Ryder, Tim Sniffen and The Second City.
Artistic director Annette Trossbach says, “This is one of the funniest shows I’ve ever read, and I read a lot of plays. Audiences will be delighted by movie references from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf through The Breakfast Club and so much in between. It’s smart, it’s sassy, it’s delightful!”
Director Scott Carpenter adds, “Have you ever wondered what happened to Blanche Dubois after Streetcar Named Desire? Have you ever pondered if George and Martha stayed together after Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ended? Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody answers these questions and more!”
The play features Michael Hennessey, Sue Schaffel, Joann Haley, Robert B. Armstrong, Stephen Stefanik and Howard Nutt. The production crew also includes stage management by Casey Davis, set design by Michael Eyth, light and sound design by Jonathan Johnson, costumes and wigs by Kristen Wilson.
There will be an opening night reception with hors d’oeuvres by The Gathering Place starting at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17. For teens, there will be a cast and crew meet & greet with pizza donated by Downtown House of Pizza starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18 followed by a complimentary performance for the teenagers; the tickets and pizza are free for teens but reservations are required. A half-price preview night is scheduled for Jan. 16. The theater has new seating: rows A, B and C are on the floor, while rows D and above are on risers.
Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody plays Jan. 17 through Feb. 8 at the Laboratory Theater of Florida.
Tickets can be purchased at www.Brownpapertickets.com or by calling the box office at 239-218-0481. For more information, visit www.LaboratoryTheaterFlorida.com or the physical location at 1634 Woodford Ave. in the Fort Myers River District.