BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE and More Set for Gallery Players' 67th Season

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus is proud to announce the 67th season of Gallery Players. One of the oldest and longest running theaters in central Ohio, Gallery Players continues its tradition of delivering strong performances showcasing a variety of Jewish perspectives and concerns. The 2015-2016 season will feature four crowd-pleasing classic, or soon-to-be classic, plays ranging from comedic introspection to absorbing drama, all linked by their connection to New York City.

Beginning with Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs this fall, audiences will be transported to Brooklyn in the playwright's semi-autobiographical portrait of his struggles as a teen. Protagonist Eugene Jerome's dreams of baseball and girls sharply contrast against his overbearing and bittersweet family life. The humorous and relatable look at Jewish life for a lower-middle-class family in pre-WWII New York is set to run today, October 17-November 1.

Coney Island Christmas, by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, will weave music and merriment into a new holiday tradition this December 12-20. Based on Grace Paley's The Loudest Voice, the play will appeal to audiences of all ages and faiths with its story of a young Jewish girl who, much to her parents' chagrin, is cast as Jesus in the school's Christmas pageant.

From February 27-March 13, 2016, the musical, Guys and Dolls, will come to life in the Roth/Resler Theater. Adapted from the work of Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, the play is based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon. The oddball romantic comedy follows gambler Nathan Detroit as he tries to set up the biggest craps game in town. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, nightclub performer Adelaide, laments their 14-year engagement. Guys and Dolls takes the audience from the heart of Times Square to the sewers of Manhattan, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

The season will close with a moving drama, from May 7-22. A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller, with its themes of love, responsibility, and morality, is a modern classic. Touching on the complexities of immigrant life in New York while focusing inward on the tragic shortcomings of a large Italian family and its long-shoreman patriarch, Miller draws the audience in with the directness and simplicity of his writing.

Season tickets will go on sale August 1, 2015. Tickets to the first show of the season, Brighton Beach Memoirs, will also go on sale August 1. For a limited time, season passes may be ordered at a BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE discount, costing $75/season pass for the general public and $60/season pass for JCC members. Regular adult admission price per ticket is $20, senior admission is $18, JCC adult member tickets are $15, senior JCC member tickets cost $13, and tickets for children and students with a valid ID cost $10/ticket. All performances will take place in the JCC's Roth/Resler Theater at 1125 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209.

Auditions for Brighton Beach Memoirs will be held August 17, 2015. Contact Jared Saltman at jsaltman@columbusjcc.org for more information; visit www.columbusjcc.org or call 614-231-2731 for ticket sales.

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The 67th Season Performance Schedule:

Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon - October 17-November 1

Showtimes: 8 p.m. Saturday October 17, 2:30 p.m. Sunday October 18, 2 p.m. Friday October 23, 8 p.m. Saturday October 24, 2:30 p.m. Sunday October 25, 7:30 p.m. Thursday October 29, 8 p.m. Saturday October 31, 2:30 p.m. Sunday November 1

Coney Island Christmas By Donald Margulies - December 12-20

Showtimes: 8 p.m. Saturday December 12, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday December 13, 7:30 p.m. Thursday December 17, 8 p.m. Saturday December 19, 2:30 pm Sunday December 20

Guys and Dolls: Book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows, Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown & characters by Damon Runyon - February 27-March 13

Showtimes: 8 p.m. Saturday February 27, 2:30 p.m. Sunday February 28, 7:30 p.m. Thursday March 3, 8 p.m. Saturday March 5, 2:30 p.m. Sunday March 6, 7:30 p.m. Thursday March 10, 8 p.m. Saturday March 12, 2:30 p.m. Sunday March 13

A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller - May 7-22

Showtimes: 8 p.m. Saturday May 7, 2:30 p.m. Sunday May 8, 8 p.m. Saturday May 14, 2:30 p.m. Sunday May 15, 7:30 p.m. Thursday May 19, 8 pm Saturday May 21, 2:30 p.m. Sunday May 22

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The JCC of Greater Columbus, located at 1125 College Ave., Columbus, is a human service organization offering a varied program that is largely Jewish in nature. It is committed to enhancing the quality of family life and promoting the physical, intellectual and spiritual wellness of the individual. It provides health-related activities and cultural and educational programs that reflect the Jewish heritage. Although primarily a membership JCC, the JCC of Greater Columbus also delivers services to the community at large, including populations at risk. Through its wide array of programs, the JCC pursues its mission of strengthening the individual, family and community. For general information, contact the front desk of the JCC at (614) 231-2731. The JCC is a beneficiary of The Columbus Jewish Federation, and a United Way Agency, affiliated with The JCC Association.