World Premiere Farce GEORGE WASHINGTON'S TEETH Added to Florida Rep's 20th Season

Florida Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce the final addition to its 20th Anniversary Season with the world premiere production of Mark St. Germain's, "George Washington's Teeth." The farce for five women will play in Florida Rep's ArtStage Studio Theatre April 3 to May 6, 2018, and was chosen from six plays read as part of the company's PlayLab Festival held earlier this year.

"George Washington's Teeth" is a hilarious comedy that follows the exploits of the women of the beleaguered New Bunion Historical Society as they battle the male city council to keep the doors open. With time running out to renew their lease, the ladies must find creative ways to snare new members and lure visitors to their sleepy, New England town. When a set of George Washington's dentures turns up in the hands of an unexpected rival, the ladies of the Society brace themselves for all-out war. Heartfelt and historic, this new farce proves that our differences don't divide us, they make us strong.

Florida Rep audiences will recognize St. Germain from previous hits, "Camping with Henry and Tom," which opened the then newly-renovated ArtStage Studio Theatre in 2012, and "Best of Enemies" last fall. An accomplished playwright and screenwriter, his work also includes the Off Broadway sensation "Freud's Last Session" as well as last year's "Relativity" in Hartford, Conn. starring Richard Dreyfuss as Albert Einstein. Other works include "Dancing Lessons," "Becoming Dr. Ruth," and a number of musicals, television credits, and screenplays. St. Germain will join Florida Rep later this year for a developmental workshop before the play begins its rehearsals in March 2018.

"Florida Rep made a strong commitment four years ago to produce new works and nurture playwrights," said Producing Artistic Director, Robert Cacioppo, "and we are proud to say that new plays are born here, and to continue that tradition with the superb playwright, Mark St. Germain. We are no stranger to his work, and are honored to be collaborating with him on a very funny new play."

"My first visit to [Florida Rep] was very impressive, from the quality of the play being produced, 'Doublewide,' and the new plays read," St. Germain said of his experience in the PlayLab. "The audience is smart and excited. The Staff couldn't have been more helpful and the company was very talented. What's not to like?"

During the PlayLab, St. Germain spent a few days working with a professional cast, a director and was able to see his play read for an audience and get feedback. "This was the first time I was able to hear the play with an unbiased audience," said St. Germain. "Particularly with a comedy, it's impossible to see if a play works without them. The reading was very encouraging and gave me ideas for changes, cuts, and ways to make it a better play."

"George Washington's Teeth" features a cast of five women - something rare in the canon of American plays, and that was by design. "Once you grow past the ingenue stage, it is progressively more difficult to get a good role as an actress," St. Germain said. "It's only because the opportunities aren't always there - how many plays can you think of with an all-male cast, then count how many plays are made up of all women? I wanted to do a play where women from all ages powered the play."

"George Washington's Teeth" will mark Florida Rep's fourth world premiere or second production to come out of the PlayLab Festival. The others are "Doublewide" by Stephen Spotswood (2017; NNPN Rolling World Premiere), "Split in Three" by Daryl Lisa Fazio (2015), and the regional premiere of "The Dingdong" by Mark Shanahan (2016) - all of which have had subsequent productions since their runs at Florida Rep. The PlayLab has produced twenty new play readings, and is responsible for commissioning and premiering two works for young audiences by Christopher Parks, "Journey to Oz" and "A Dream Within a Dream: The Spirit of Poe."

Florida Repertory Theatre is a proud Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN) in Washington, D.C., the country's alliance of non-profit theaters that champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Many of the plays submitted to the 2017 PlayLab Festival, were chosen from a call for submissions from NNPN member and alumni playwrights. Florida Rep is actively seeking partnerships with other NNPN affiliated theatres to produce this new play as part of the NNPN Rolling World Premiere program.

"George Washington's Teeth" plays in the Artstage Studio Theatre April 6 to May 6, 2018, with four discounted previews April 3-5. Regular performances Tuesday-Thursday at 7 PM, Friday-Saturday at 8 PM, and 2 PM matinees on Thursday, Sunday, and selected Saturdays.

Priced at $55 and $45 for regular performances, $35 and $25 for previews. Subscriptions are on sale now and offer the best seats at the biggest savings. Single tickets are on sale now through the box office at 239-332-4488 and online at www.floridarep.org.

Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry with limited free parking in the Fort Myers River District. Visit Florida Rep online at FloridaRep.org, and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.