(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The award-winning Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company will host a Q&A with playwright Aaron Posner following their performance of Who Am I This Time? (& Other Conundrums of Love) on Wednesday, August 10. Posner created this play by adapting three charming Kurt Vonnegut stories for the stage, "Long Walk Forever," "Who Am I This Time?" and "Go Back to Your Precious Wife and Son." ELTC's production, which opened on July 27, has been getting standing ovations.
"Filled with hope and love, it's the perfect play for the times," said Producing Artistic Director, Gayle Stahlhuth. "Not since we produced Arsenic and Old Lace have I heard so much laughter from the audience." The play with a cast of eight, takes place in the small town of North Crawford, Connecticut in 1962.
Aaron Posner grew up in Eugene, Oregon, went to Northwestern University, and has spent most of his life working in professional regional theater. He was the Artistic Director of two LORT theater, and is currently an Associate Professor at American University. He's directed more than 150 productions at major regional theaters across the country including The Arden Theatre, Arena Stage, California Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Folger Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre, South Coast Rep, and Two River Theater in NJ.
Posner has written about 20 plays, all (but one) of which are adaptations of short stories, novels, novellas, or plays. His work has received over 400 productions including Off-Broadway (My Name is Asher Lev and Life Sucks). Other plays include Stupid, F*****G Bird (a new look at The Seagull), JQA, The Heal, No Sisters, District Merchants, The Chosen, Sometimes A Great Notion, Cyrano (with Michael Hollinger), A Murder, A Mystery & A Marriage (with composer James Sugg), The Gift of Nothing (with composer Andy Mitton), ME…JANE: The Dreams & Adventures of Young Jane Goodall (also with composer Andy Mitton.) He's received six Helen Hayes Awards, two Barrymore Awards, The Outer Circle Critics Award, a Joseph Jefferson Award, an Elliott Norton Award, The Bay Area Theatre Critics Award, The John Gassner Prize, and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award.
Who Am I This Time (& Other Conundrums of Love) runs through September 3, every Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00pm at The Cape May Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street, where ELTC is in residence. Tickets are $35; $30 senior; $20 full-time student and military (active/retired/vet); and ages 12 and under are free.
Meanwhile, ELTC's Summer Workshop begins on August 2 with 12 students, ages 11 -17, rehearsing Little Women under the direction of Rob LeMaire, assisted by Andrew Lofredo. The students will perform this play on Monday, August 15 at 8:00pm for free for the community. The next Tales of the Victorians will be at 4:00pm on these Thursdays: August 4 at the Property Owners Association of Cape May Beach (Historic Town Bank), 201 Clubhouse Road, and on August 18 at The Dormer House, 800 Columbia Avenue with performers Stephanie Garrett and Frank Smith.
To purchase tickets and to learn more about ELTC's productions and special events like the Summer Workshop and Tales of the Victorians, visit Eastlynnetheater.org, e-mail eastlynneco@aol.com, or call 609-884-5898.
