2008 MAINSTAGE SEASON
LAUGHING STOCK by
Charles Morey
May 1-3, 8-11, 15-17
This
hilarious backstage farce is the perfect comedy to launch Little
Lake Theatre's 60th anniversary season. What a find! A genuinely
affectionate look into the world of a rustic summer "barn" playhouse,
this comedy follows a group of well-intentioned thespians from
outrageous auditions through mischievous rehearsals to opening nights
fraught with wildly funny disasters. There is no doubt this play will
perfectly nudge Little Lake company members to giggle at themselves
while, at the same time, provide lots of audience-pleasing laughter.
DUCK HUNTER SHOOTS ANGEL
by Mitch Albom May
22-24, May 29-June 1, 5-7
We've caught you reading the headlines while standing in line at
the Giant Eagle: Elvis Opens Frozen Yogurt Stand on
Jupiter or Pack of Wild Cocker
Spaniels Terrorizes Wyoming. In this comedy by
Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie; The Five
People You Meet in Heaven) we discover the story behind the
headlines. What happens when a jaded tabloid reporter and his reluctant
photographer are sent to report on two bumbling brothers who swear
they have shot an angel out of the sky? Lots of laughs and a few sweet
revelations!
STEEL MAGNOLIAS
by Robert Harling
June 12-14, 19-22, 26-28
What better time to visit dear old
friends from Truvy’s Beauty Salon than during our 60th
season?! And what a homecoming it will be! Gossip, wise-crackling
humor, and a huge dose of Southern hospitality are in store when M’Lynn,
Shelby, Annelle, Miss Clairee and Ouiser (“I’m not crazy, I’ve
just been in a bad mood for 40 years!”) gather for washing, combing,
setting and more than a little teasing.
THE HISTORY BOYS
by Alan Bennett
July 3, 5, 10-13, 17-19
We are thrilled to present the Pittsburgh
area premiere of this superbly-written, multi award-winning play. A
group of spirited and bright teenage boys, while in the midst of their
adolescent pursuits of both sex and sport, are also preparing for their
university entrance exams. This brilliant comic drama “exploring
staffroom rivalry and the
anarchy of adolescence provokes insistent questions about history and
how you teach it; about education and its purpose.” Critics have raved: “Madly enjoyable…” “Brilliantly
funny ... moving, disquieting…” “In short, a superb, life-enhancing
play.” The play contains adult
language and subject matter—not recommended for children.
LEND ME A TENOR
by Ken Ludwig
July
24-26, 31-August 3, 7-9
Midsummer always seems to be the perfect
time to enjoy a wildly entertaining, screwball comedy, and this one
guarantees a wild romp of desperate measures and giddy mischief. The
Cleveland Grand Opera has imported world-famous tenor, Tito Merelli, to
launch its gala 1934 season. Suddenly, when it is discovered that the
famous star is missing, indisposed, unconscious or maybe dead—the plot
thickens and so does the laughter!
THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG
August 14-16,
21-24, 28-30
Book by Neil Simon. Music by
Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
A classic, and totally charming, boy
meets girl love story. The boy, Vernon Gersch, is a hugely successful,
yet amusingly neurotic composer. The girl, Sonia Walsk, a quirky and big-hearted
lyricist. Will they tumble hopelessly in love?-or is it clearly not
a match made in heaven? This beguiling MUSICAL is a perfect fit for
our intimate stage.
BROOKLYN BOY by
Don Margulies
September 4-6, 11-13,
18-20
“Write about what you know”—isn’t that
what they say? In this “exquisitely authentic and entertaining”
comedy, Eric Weiss writes about his own Brooklyn upbringing, and his
novel, after skyrocketing up the best seller list, is on its way to
becoming a Hollywood film. Trouble is, in the middle of this newly
found success, the writer is called home to Brooklyn—and what is it they
say about going home again?? Don Margulies (Dinner With Friends)
makes this play’s familiar themes “fresh and pleasurable—and as
universal as breakfast bagels.”
KITCHEN WITCHES
by Caroline Smith September
25-27, October 2-4, 9-11
Paula Deen and Martha Stewart ain’t got
nothin’ on Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle! Watch out as these two women,
sworn enemies for 30 years, end up co-hosting the same cable channel
cooking show. The audience is thrown right into the middle of the
on-camera antics—and this hilarious rivalry is a sure-fire recipe for
laughter.
.
THE HEIRESS
by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz
October 16-18, 23-25, 30-November 1
The suspense and intrigue in this story
will keep you on the edge of your seat. Catherine, gentle and painfully
shy, is suddenly pursued by a clever and debonair man. She falls
desperately in love. Are the young man’s intentions honorable, or as
her wealthy, domineering father suspects, is he a calculating
fortune-hunter? This drama based upon the Henry James novel,
Washington Square, takes unexpected twists and turns throughout.
ESCANABA IN LOVE
by Jeff Daniels
November 6-8, 13-15,
20-22
Last season, our audiences adored
Escanaba in da Moonlight. To our delight, Jeff Daniels has written
a hilarious companion comedy. Same Soady deer camp back in 1944. The
Soady elders anticipate the arrival of young Albert Soady, Jr. who is
about to head off to serve his country. What happens when, instead of
showing up to celebrate the opening of deer-hunting season, Albert shows
up to honeymoon with his new bride, Big Betty Balou?
A CHRISTMAS STORY
Play by Philip Grecian November 26, 28-30, December
3-7, 10-14
Based upon A Christmas Story©,
1983 Turner Entertainment Co., distributed by Warner Bros., written by
Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark, and In God We Trust, All
Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. Production Rights
Pending.
The hit is back for another Christmas
season!! To remind you of this holiday gem need we say more than “You’ll
shoot your eye out, kid.”? For those folks who haven’t been near a
television set during the Christmas holidays for the past 20 years, we
will tell you that this story of young Ralphie Parker and his campaign
to receive a Red Ryder air rifle for Christmas has become a beloved
classic—and one that guarantees howls of laughter from adults and kids
alike. Please note: Wednesday night and Saturday and Sunday matinee
performances added.
