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From
out of Shadowland, a Shining Light for Ellenville
By M.R. Smith
CONTINUE....
After
readings with Burke, Edward Herrmann, Austin Pendleton, and later,
Stephen Colbert and Paul Murphy, the play was produced at Shadowland
to great reviews in the 2006 season. It has since moved on to the
Playwrights Theatre, Madison, NJ, and the New Jersey Repertory,
and, according to Burke, has recently been selected by the American
National Theatre for its spring season. “Usually, in a case
like this, it’s just the script makes it to the next step.
“With The Good German, it’s all going intact: cast,
design, pretty much the whole thing we developed here,” says
Burke, with just a hint of well-earned pride.
This season provides more fresh works. Coming off a surprisingly
successful season premiere of the baseball comedy Rounding Third,
Shadowland’s July schedule features Natural History (June
22 thru 7July 15) by up-and-coming playwright Jennifer Camp. Tony
Award winner Michele Pawk, and her husband, Tony-nominee John Dossett,
approached Glossman about directing this romantic comedy, who then
ran it by Burke, who upon seeing who was in the cast, became enthused.
“It’s smart, and funny, and it suits the place and the
season wonderfully,” adds Burke. Then, after a 4-day turnaround,
up goes Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple Of Inishmaan (July 20
thru August 12), a dark comedy from one of Ireland’s top young
writers, who by the age of 24, has already had four shows at London’s
West End. Says Burke,” I knew we had to do this, when I was
reading it on the subway, and I was laughing out loud by the second
page, while everyone was looking at me funny!” Look for thick
brogues, belly laughs, and a surprise ending. Later in the season:
Old fave from the Fantasticks writers, I Do!, I Do!, and the disturbingly
comedic Pulitzer-winner How I Learned To Drive, which closes the
season on September 30. CONTINUE....
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