Temple Theaters' THE MATCHMAKER Begins Tonight

Temple Theaters concludes its 47th season with Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, directed by Douglas C. Wager. The classic American play about the tipsy relationship love and money runs tonight, March 25 - April 4 in the Tomlinson Theater. With a wild romp through late 19th century New York, The Matchmaker proves that sometimes money can buy happiness.

The charming and charismatic Dolly Levi (Julie Czarnecki) is hired by rich widower Horace Vandergelder (Robert Jason Jackson) to help broker fortunate marriages for himself and his niece Ermengarde (Gabby Huggins). With help from Dolly, Ermengarde plans to defy her uncle and run off with the poor artist Ambrose (Daniel Barland). Though tasked with facilitating a marriage between Vandergelder and Irene Molloy (Katie Horner), a young and successful businesswoman, Dolly has plans to take him for herself. In the end, the chaos of lies, schemes, and mistaken identities yields to a happy ending for all.

The Matchmaker is "a genuinely all-American play about living in the now," says director Douglas C. Wager. "His play is not simply a comic nostalgic period piece; it is also an iconic cautionary tale about pursuing wealth versus the pursuit of happiness," he continues. "It is also a shrewd parable about the waning currency of time, about the priceless value of seizing life, loving it and living it fully."

Temple Theaters' MFA PlayFest, staged readings of new plays, is the final presentation of the year, running April 24 - 26. Look for the announcement of the 2015-2016 season coming soon. Information about Temple Theaters main stage season and special events can be found at temple.edu/theater.