"Mary, Mary" presented by The Autumn Players of ACT

Mary, Mary, a comedy by Jean Kerr (1922-2003), is scheduled for three matinee performances by The Autumn Players of Asheville Community Theatre (ACT):  Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7, 2013 in 35below at ACT, and Sunday, September 8, 2013 at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center. Under the direction of Jim Reid and in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, this is the final of five productions of the 2012-13 season of Readers Theatre Showcase. Curtain is at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $5 cash at the door.

Mary, Mary opened on Broadway in 1961 and enjoyed nearly a 4-year run making it, at the time, the longest running non-musical in Broadway history. Penned by Jean Kerr, spouse of drama critic Walter Kerr, it is a witty comedy centered on a fateful night and day nine months after the divorce of wisecracking Mary and sensible Bob. They meet at his apartment in efforts to stave-off an IRS audit. But, the plot thickens when they are joined by Bob’s young fiancée Tiffany and others. Kerr also authored several other plays including the popular Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.

Director Jim Reid is a native New Yorker who has served at several colleges and universities throughout the country, both in leadership positions and as a classroom teacher. He and his wife Linda settled in the region in 1997 and Jim became a thespian five years ago. He lists roles as Robert in David Auburn's Proof and Sidney Lipton in Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite as his personal favorites. He has appeared in three plays produced by The Autumn Players and is excited to be making his directorial debut with the company.    

The Autumn Players is ACT's volunteer outreach company consisting of over 100 seasoned actors, directors, writers and event organizers dedicated to taking theater into the community.  Since 1992, the company has provided entertainment, enrichment, and education for thousands of students, seniors, and in-betweens at venues within an hour or more from Asheville.

For more information or for a full schedule of the Readers Theatre Showcase series, please visit www.ashevilletheatre.org.