THE NICETIES
Written by ELEANOR BURGESS
Directed by JOHN ERIC SCUTCHINS
WHEN: MARCH 23 – APRIL 17, 2022. OPENING NIGHT IS SATURDAY, MARCH 26 AT 8 P.M. SPECIAL “REOPENING” CELEBRATION ON THURSDAY, MARCH 31, AT 8 P.M. Wednesdays at 8 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.
WHERE: Mile Square Theatre,1400 Clinton St. Hoboken, NJ 07030
TICKETS: $30-$45 and available at milesquaretheatre.org Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater a half hour before the performance.
"Burgess generates a verbal whirlwind with a words-per-minute velocity that rivals Aaron Sorkin." —The Boston Globe
"An articulate, expression of #blacklivesmatter anger as well as a millennial rebel yell." —The Arts Fuse
“One of the best plays I’ve seen about who gets to tell the story of America, and how.” —The Washington Post
In this “barnburner of a play” (The Washington Post), Janine, an accomplished Ivy League professor, holds routine office hours with Zoe, an ambitious young student, to discuss her thesis: If history is written by the victors, who tells the story of the oppressed? When the two don’t see eye to eye, polite disagreements explode into a debate over race and history that threatens to derail their careers, lives and the status quo.
Kevin R Free, MST’s new Artistic Director states, “The play feels relevant because of the brave conversations that middle-aged liberals like me are having these days with progressive young people around race and privilege.”
The production stars Annie McAdams* (Lydie Breeze, u/s New York Theatre Workshop; Cruel and Barbarous Treatment, Culture Project) as Janine and DeAnna Supplee* (The Winter's Tale, New York Shakespeare Exchange) as Zoe. *Performing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association.
The production features scenic design by Emmett Grosland, costume design by Mika Eubanks, and lighting design by Nancy Valladares. Nathanael Brown is the sound designer, Maya Ramdayal is the props supervisor, and Marisa Kilgallen is the stage manager. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Website: https://www.milesquaretheatre.org/shows-events/the-niceties/
Insta: @Milesquaretheatre
Twitter: @milesquarethtr
FB: @milesquaretheatre
ELEANOR BURGESS’ (Playwright) work has been produced across the United States and internationally, at Manhattan Theatre Club, McCarter Theatre Center, Geffen Playhouse, Huntington Theatre Company, the Alliance Theatre, Writers Theatre, Finborough Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, Geva Theatre Center, InterAct Theatre, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, the Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Portland Stage Company, and Centenary Stage. She has also developed work with The New Group, New York Theatre Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Salt Lake Acting Company, the Lark Play Development Center, and the Kennedy Center/NNPN MFA Playwrights Workshop. She has been a member of the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group at Primary Stages, Page 73's writers' group Interstate 73, The Civilians’ R&D Group, and New York Theatre Workshop’s 2050 Fellowship. Eleanor also works in film and television, including work on Perry Mason for HBO, Caviar for Apple TV, and Interview with a Vampire for AMC. Originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, she studied history at Yale College and Dramatic Writing at NYU/Tisch.
ANNIE MCADAMS* (Janine) has worked regionally at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle (World Premiere of Smash by Jeffrey Hatcher) and at the Franklin Stage Company as Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. New York City: Lydie Breeze (u/s New York Theatre Workshop), Cruel and Barbarous Treatment (Culture Project). At Mile Square Theatre she appeared in Love of the Game, Fantasy League, God of Carnage, Core Values, Vanya, Sonia, Masha, and Spike and Pipeline. Annie is the Education Director for Mile Square Theatre and teaches in the theatre program at Drew University. MFA, University of Washington, Seattle.
JOHN ERIC SCUTCHINS (Director) Directing credits include: Emergency (Crossroad Theatre Company); A Time To Love (Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s National Black Theatre); False Brotherhood (New Federal Theatre); CHI-BOY (Page to Stage Festival/Kennedy Center); The Dues That Must Be Paid (Heal Me Too Festival); Ascension (National Black Theatre); 48 Hours in Harlem (National Black Theatre); By Chance Or By Choice (Newark Public Library); Hercules Didn’t Wade in the Water (National Black Theatre); Gay for the Stay (Faison Firehouse Theatre). Stage Management credits include: Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes (Hartford Stage); Mr. Joy (The Riverside Theatre, Lincoln Center Theater); Tearing Down the Walls (The Riverside Theatre); Resurrection (Hartford Stage, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company); Daniel Beaty’s Emergency (Freedom Theatre, Aaron Davis Hall, The Public Theater, Geffen Playhouse, Arena Stage); Passing Strange (The Public Theater); The Trial of One Short Sighted Black Woman,Melba Moore: Sweet Songs of the Soul, Paul Robeson, Waiting to End Hell, Great Men of Gospel (Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre); Hands Up (National Black Theatre)
DEANNA SUPPLEE* (Zoe) is a Philadelphia-born, New York City-trained actress. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she has also studied at the British American Drama Academy at the University of Oxford and the Actors Studio Drama School (MFA, Acting). NYC Theater credits: The Winter's Tale (New York Shakespeare Exchange), On Strivers Row (Metropolitan Playhouse), Much Ado About Nothing (New York Shakespeare Exchange), The Trojan Women (The Flea Theater), Fires in the Mirror, Laundry & Bourbon, Platanos Y Collard Greens, and Romeo & Juliet (Occupy Verona). Regional Theater: Skeleton Crew (TheatreSquared). International Theater: Look/Alive (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). DeAnna is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.
MILE SQUARE THEATRE was founded in 2003 as a non-profit professional theatre. MST’s mission is to enrich and engage the region through the production of professional theatre and innovative arts education. MST produces professional theatre year-round, including shows for young audiences and our annual festival of plays about baseball, 7th Inning Stretch.
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