Thursday Performance This Week. Three Weekend Performances
Thur, Fri, Sat at 7:30 PM – Final Sunday Matinee 2:00 PM
What the Critics Are Saying
”…the cast brought great energy to each scene and elicited laughter at the right moments throughout the evening.”
“Bennett simply commands the stage from the first light cue.”
“…Standout performances included John Coscia as the laid-back grandfather, and Sara Evans Bennett as the enthusiastic Penny.”
“…Four actress pillars — [Katie Brown, Beth Hughes-Brown, Sara Evans Bennett and Andra Whitt] form the sparkling foundation of this farce, confections for every sense…”
[Patrick David] “…succeeded especially in presenting Mr. Kirby as someone with depth and humor, although dominated by propriety and business sense. This capturing of a rather nuanced personality becomes important when Kirby ultimately relents from his stubbornness and stifled behavior.”
“…an extravagantly detailed set (overseen by design/construction genius John Coscia) — its unveiling set to a thoughtful soundtrack engineered by [Barbara Gertzog] that invites pre-show audience engagement. Contributing to the cozy clutter of the “Can’t Take It” residence — partly decorated by Coscia’s wife, Lisa Church…”
[The timeless themes of this Pulitzer Prize Winning play] “…are upstaged by sheer levity wrought by director [Chip] Gertzog both on- and offstage. He squeezes each laugh line and pratfall for full reward… For those who can’t take it anymore, for the love of theater, go”
“You Can’t Take It With You” – The comedy classic from The Providence Players. A brilliant, warm-hearted and critically–acclaimed comedy that is one of America’s best. Join Grandpa and his good-natured, though eccentric, family as they meet the stuffy and more conservative Kirbys – nothing but hilarity ensues. This revival of PPF’s very first production is a Pulitzer Prize winner and tremendous fun for all ages!
Continues this week and weekend at The James Lee Community Center Theater 2855Annandale Road,Falls Church.
Single Show Tickets Online, By Email, By Phone or At The Box Office
$18 adults, $15 Students/Seniors. providenceplayersticket@cox.net 703-425-6782.
Season Tickets Are Still Available Tickets online at www.providenceplayers.org and at the door. The Nov 3rd performance will be sign language interpreted.
Remaining Performance Dates And Times
Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.
October 25, 26, 27, November 1, 2 & 3
Final Sunday Matinee 2:00 p.m. October 28
More From The Critics
…”the cast brought great energy to each scene and elicited laughter at the right moments throughout the evening. A vibrant and intricately detailed set further enhanced my impressions of PPF’s strong début.”…[Andra Whitt effectively channeled] “awkward and ditsy humor, perfect for the role of Essie Carmichael. [Patrick David] “…succeeded especially in presenting Mr. Kirby as someone with depth and humor, although dominated by propriety and business sense. This capturing of a rather nuanced personality becomes important when Kirby ultimately relents from his stubbornness and stifled behavior.” [The production team] “…more than held their own in making this production a successful début for PPF’s 15th season.” –by Adam Sylvain www.showbizradio.net
“…Standout performances included John Coscia as the laid-back grandfather, and Sara Evans Bennett as the enthusiastic Penny. Christopher Swartz also did a fine job as Tony…John Coscia designed and constructed a set that resembles the interior of a lived-in home, complete with mismatched furniture, cluttered antiques, and a hodge-podge of assorted knick-knacks and trinkets. The result is not unlike walking into your grandmother’s sitting room. Sound Designers Chip and Barbara Gertzog use old-time music to help reflect the 1930s, as well as sound effects, including explosives and a coo-coo clock, and Technical Director Sarah Mournighan keeps the stage well-lit… Another way the era is seen is through costumes by Robbie Snow, …. You Can’t Take it With You will deliver a wonderful evening of entertainment.” -by Julia Exline, DC Metro Theater Arts www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com
“…Four actress pillars — [Katie Brown, Beth Hughes-Brown, Sara Evans Bennett and Andra Whitt] form the sparkling foundation of this farce, confections for ever sense…One constant of PPF shows is that you can count on an extravagantly detailed set (overseen by design/construction genius John Coscia) — its unveiling set to a thoughtful soundtrack engineered by [Barbara Gertzog] that invites pre-show audience engagement. Contributing to the cozy clutter of the “Can’t Take It” residence — partly decorated by Coscia’s wife, Lisa Church, who last lended her expert touch for the 1998 blast-off production — are no fewer than 20 framed art pieces, a bulging curio cabinet, four implied rooms, three implied levels, ornate antiques, a radiator and clocks, namely a grandfather and a working cuckoo — befitting the Vanderhof/Sycamore household whose zany inhabitants dance and dally as if possessed. Strains of the pre-show “Pennies From Heaven” segue into our introduction to Evans Bennett’s Penny, who underscores the show’s comedic cadence, while Essie’s flitting-about creates a rhythmic visual tapestry, even with no music (that we can hear). Though she plays a delusional dancer, Whitt raises the bar(re) with unmatched artistry. And Evans Bennett simply commands the stage from the first light cue.” [The timeless themes of this Pulitzer Prize Winning play] “…are upstaged by sheer levity wrought by director [Chip] Gertzog both on- and offstage. He squeezes each laugh line and pratfall for full reward… For those who can’t take it anymore, for the love of theater, go” by Terryism on the “T IS 4 Theatre” Blog http://tis4theatre.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/you-cant-take-it-with-you-taking-wall-street-by-laughter/
15th Anniversary Season – Our Best Yet! Season Tickets Available
The Providence Players of Fairfax (PPF) proudly celebrates its fifteenth anniversary season in 2012–2013 with an exciting lineup of award winning productions beginning October 19th with the Pulitzer Prize winning Kaufman and Hart comedy classic, “You Can’t Take It With You”. From humble beginnings as a group of parents who first banded together to mount the same Kaufman and Hart classic in1998 to raise money for a local elementary school PTA, the Providence Players has emerged as one of the region’s leading non-profit community theater companies, producing 4 main stage productions a year with more than 100 all volunteer member artists serving over 3,600 theater patrons each year. To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary season, PPF felt it only fitting to open it’s season with a reprise of its very first production (with some of the original actors and many new faces!) and follow it up with exciting new offerings.
PPF’s fifteenth anniversary season will be counted among company’s best ever. Following the classic award winning comedy, “You Can’t Take It With You” as the Fall production, the Players will present a special holiday production of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. This production, a family holiday classic, is being produced in cooperation with the Young Hearts Foundation a group of amazing teens who raise funds to battle blood cancers and other diseases. A portion of all proceeds from this production will be donated to Young Hearts Foundation in pursuit of their important mission.
PPF’s early spring production will be the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winning drama, “Dinner With Friends” a funny yet bittersweet look at the marriages of two couples who have been friends for years and the impact on both couples when one of those marriages goes sour. The New York Times called this multi-award winning work “A play for our time”. “Dinner with Friends” is not for young audiences. It contains mature themes and language.
The final production of the season will be one of the oldest new comedy’s to ever hit the stage, the David Ives adapted Mark Twain comedy, “Is He Dead?”. Authored by Twain in 1898, this play was recently discovered by Twain scholar, Shelley Fisher Fishkin and adapted by one ofAmerica’s funniest contemporary playwrights, David Ives. It has only recently hit the professional theater circuit to both critical acclaim and raucous laughter.
An award-winning company, PPF is proud to be a member of the Washington Area Theater Community Honors (WATCH) organization that adjudicates productions and presents annual awards recognizing artistic and technical excellence in Community Theater. Since becoming a member in 2004, PPF has been recognized with nearly fifty (50) WATCH nominations and awards for quality theatrical performance and production. Most recently, for the 2011 WATCH Season, the Providence Players were honored with eleven WATCH nominations for performance and production work, including two nominations for Best Play for PPF’s productions of The Shadow Box and Auntie Mame. In 2011, PPF’s The Shadow Box won the British Players’ Ruby Griffith award for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Musical (“Best Play”). And in 2008-2009, PPF’s production of All My Sons won the Ruby Griffith Award for All Around Production Excellence, their top award.
PPF also became a member and grant recipient of the Arts Council of Fairfax County, and has been honored by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (sponsored by now Board Chairman, Linda Smyth and then Board Chairman, now Congressman,Gerry Connolly) for artistic excellence and community involvement.
PPF is also committed to the diverse community it serves. Several years ago, PPF launched the Theater Community Inclusion Project, a community outreach initiative that strives to increase participation among new audiences, particularly youth and underserved populations by providing free tickets to those who cannot afford the price of admission, a special free teacher and student preview performance for each production, theater workshops for youth, and scholarships to college-bound students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to theater arts.
PPF is the resident company and community partner at The James Lee Community Center in FairfaxCounty, just outside the City of Falls Church. The 2012-2013 season marks the company’s 9th year at the intimate and comfortable 224 seat James Lee Community Center Theater. The Players are honored to have had a hand in working withFairfaxCounty in the design of the theater and company members are active and involved in many non-PPF theatrical activities at the theater and in the community center.
PPF is a group of committed, volunteer member artists. The organization prides itself as a welcoming, inclusive “big tent” organization – big enough to include first timers to theatrical endeavors and those with significant theater experience.