The Village Players of Birmingham Check in at the Plaza

The Village Players opens its 94th season with the Neil Simon comedy Plaza Suite. This hit opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre on February 14, 1968 and closed on October 3, 1970 after 1097 performances. Directed by Mike Nichols, the cast featured George C. Scott and Maureen Stapleton who appeared in each of the three acts. The production runs weekends September 9th through the 18th at The Playhouse of the Village Players in Birmingham.

Hilarity abounds in this portrait of three couples occupying a suite at the Plaza. Each brings their own brand of humor to three totally unique situations. Neil Simon is at his sharpest and wittiest in this brilliant and timeless comedy.

The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters and actors but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel.

Eileen S. White of Warren makes her Village Players debut directing Plaza Suite, although she has directed at other theatres throughout the Metro Detroit area. When asked why she wanted to direct this great play, Eileen stated; "It represents to me the quintessential perfect play. It has stellar comedic writing by the always-brilliant Neil Simon with humor to which anyone can relate. More importantly, each of the three acts has heart and show real relationships. Neil Simon's true gift in storytelling is that he writes real people dealing with real situations and infuses them with wit and sarcasm that leaves the audience thoroughly entertained. At the same time, hopefully the audience walks away feeling that their own problems are not insurmountable and that everything is going to be okay."

The three-act comedy runs approximately 2.5 hours and includes two intermissions. Show dates and times are September 9, 10, 16, 17, at 8:00 p.m. and September 11, 17 and 18 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 (plus a $1.00 facilities improvement fee) and are available online at www.birminghamvillageplayers.com or by calling the theater box office at 248-644-2075. The Playhouse of the Village Players is located at 34660 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham.

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