Gulfshore Playhouse will celebrate its16th season with powerful and prescient dramas, hilarious comedies, a moving musical, stirring new works and esteemed classics. The 2020-21 season has been announced and includes:
The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien, Oct. 17 to Nov. 1: For decades, South Africa was torn apart by apartheid. In this personal, deeply evocative story of enduring love, two families’ destinies are intertwined across four generations as they experience early apartheid to present-day South Africa. With humor, fear and courage, six-year-old Elizabeth Grace tries to make sense of the wonder and chaos around her. This emotionally powerful, engaging and persuasive piece will show how love can conquer fear.
Around the World in 80 Days by Mark Brown, Nov. 14 to Dec. 13: All the world’s a stage in this hilarious, imaginative tour-de-force of epic proportions. When Phileas Fogg, a wealthy Victorian gentleman, accepts a seemingly impossible wager to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days, he embarks on a dangerous and delightful globetrotting adventure, pursued all the while by a dogged adversary. Five actors take on 42 roles in this charming, madcap, fun adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic story.
The Pin-Up Girls by James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin, Jan. 9 to 31: From George Gershwin to Beyonce. From World War One to Afghanistan. “The Pin-Up Girls” is a cavalcade of musical hits inspired by real letters from troops overseas. While singing at their local VFW hall, Leanne and her friends stumble upon a stash of letters that go back 100 years. Inspired by what they find – funny, romantic, heartbreaking, and sexy – the ladies put on a show that celebrates the guys and girls who fight to defend our country.
Bang Bang! by John Cleese, Feb. 13 to March 14: Legendary actor John Cleese of Monty Python fame brings to life this new adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s classic comedy Monsieur Chasse. When a respectable society lady is hoodwinked by her husband, she devises a scheme to get revenge. Everyone has a secret, and things go quickly awry in this new production brought to the stage by one of the greatest comedic geniuses of all time.
Othello by William Shakespeare, March 27 to April 18: Othello is on top of the world. He has power, passion and a promising future. Unbeknownst to him, he becomes the target of increasingly malicious mind-games poised to destroy him. In one of Shakespeare’s most enduring and prescient tragedies, Othello’s life begins to unravel at an unstoppable pace and everyone must suffer the explosive consequences. This seat-gripping psychological drama is not to be missed.
Another Revolution by Jacqueline Bircher, May 1 to 16: The year is 1968. Two graduate students are forced to share a lab at Columbia University and find they are opposed in more ways than just their scientific disciplines. Amid interpersonal differences, a campus devolving into political chaos, and the uncertainty and turmoil of the outside world, they each discover what it’s like to be thrown into someone else’s orbit. Audiences won’t want to miss this timely new work about finding hope through the uncertainty.
This upcoming season, Gulfshore Playhouse Education will debut “Little Women” as part of the Playhouse’s main stage season line-up. Presented by the by-audition only Teen Conservatory program, performances will take place Dec. 17 – 19.
Gulfshore Playhouse Education has also announced the summer productions of Mary Poppins, and Be More Chill as part of the Teen and Youth Conservatory programs. Mary Poppins plays June 25 and 26. Be More Chill shows July 30 to Aug. 8.
The 2020-21 season will also feature all-new season packages and flex pass offerings. Season packages offer patrons the option of a three-show, four-show, five-show or six-show selection, with savings of up to 20% off regular tickets and the added bonus of prime seats, exclusive access to VIP events, and additional discounted tickets for family and friends. Packages start at $168 per person, with an additional $10 off between Feb. 24 and March 8.
New this year, Gulfshore Playhouse has introduced a flex pass option that provides patrons with the flexibility of purchasing a block of tickets and redeeming them any time, in any amount, for any show.
Patrons can use all of their passes for a single show or spread them out over multiple shows. Options include 12-ticket, 10-ticket, 8-ticket, and 6-ticket pass blocks. Prices start as low as $66 per ticket with the Flex Pass option. Flex Pass holders can redeem tickets for any seat level, and also receive invitations to exclusive events, and can exchange tickets up to 24 hours before a show.
For purchase information, contact 239-261-7529.
Plans are currently underway for the new Gulfshore Playhouse Theater and Education Center at Goodlette-Frank Road and First Avenue South, which will include two theaters and an education wing to support programming for children, adults, and families.
For more info about Gulfshore Playhouse, visit www.GulfshorePlayhouse.org or call 239-261-PLAY (7529).
