Bickford & Playwrights Theatre Present THE LAST DAYS OF MICKEY & JEAN

The Bickford Theatre and Playwrights Theatre will present the New Jersey Premiere of The Last Days of Mickey & Jean by Richard Dresser. The co-production, along with Oldcastle Theatre Company of Vermont (appropriate for ages 18 and up), will preview on September 22 and run through October 9, 2011 (Press Opening: Friday, September 23 at 8:00pm, no show on Saturday, September 24). The production will be directed by John Pietrowski and features Duncan Rogers, Bev Sheehan (both residents of Maplewood, NJ), and Oliver Wadsworth. Single tickets are on sale now: General Admission $40, Seniors $36, Members of the Morris Museum/Bickford Theatre Guild $33, Groups (10 or more) $30 and Students $20. For tickets, visit www.bickfordtheatre.org or call the box office at 973-971-3706. All performances will take place at Bickford Theatre, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ.

It's love on the lam in this NJ Premiere of a new comedy by Richard Dresser (Rounding Third)! When Mickey, a fugitive mobster from Boston, is forced into early retirement in Paris with his no-longer-young girlfriend, Jean, the couple runs into one hilarious situation after another-and discover shocking secrets about each other along the way. With its funny perspective on unconventional love and loyalty,The Last Days of Mickey & Jean is a retirement story with a twist!

This production premiered last month at Oldcastle Theatre in Bennington, VT, and The Berkshire Advocate said it is "wonderful work and should be seen to be appreciated." The Bennington Banner said that Bev "Sheehan is a delight to watch on stage," that Duncan "Rogers delivers a stellar performance," and that Oliver Wadsworth, in the "task of playing three roles, among them a doctor and a drag queen... excel[s] as comedic relief and allows the audience to look at the complicated humanity underneath the exterior of the characters."

"We are very excited to be co-presenting this very funny and endearing play with The Bickford and Oldcastle Theatre," said John Pietrowski. "If the audience response in Vermont is any indication, New Jersey audiences will have a great evening of theatre. Playwrights audiences will recognize Richard Dresser's work from our production of Augusta two years ago and The Bickford's will remember Rounding Third, directed by none other than Duncan Rogers. We've been wanting to collaborate with The Bickford for some time, now, and this play is a perfect fit for both of our audiences."

"It's exciting to continue the mission of the Bickford of ‘giving second life to plays' with this co-production and NJ Premiere of this fun comedy by Mr. Dresser," said Eric Hafen, Artistic Director of Bickford Theatre.

Kenneth Moody designed the set, costumes, and properties. Lights are designed by Roman Klima, Sound Design is by Jeff Knapp. Yumi Matsuura is the Production Stage Manager.

About the Playwright:
Over the past twenty years, Richard Dresser'S plays have been widely produced on and off Broadway, in the nation's leading regional theaters, and extensively throughout Europe.

He recently completed a trilogy of plays about happiness in America, with each play set in a different social class: AUGUSTA (working class), THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (middle class) and A VIEW OF THE HARBOR (upper class). These plays are just published and being produced in regional theatres and in Europe.

His seventeen published plays include ROUNDING THIRD, which deals with competition in American society through the prism of Little League baseball. After premiering at the Northlight Theater in Chicago, it ran off-Broadway and has since had over one hundred productions throughout the country.

Also, BELOW THE BELT, about three American men attempting to work together in a foreign land, started at The Actors Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival, ran off-Broadway at the John Houseman Theatre, appeared throughout the country, and was a long-running hit in Berlin, triggering many European productions. It was subsequently made into a film HUMAN ERROR which appeared at the Sundance Film Festival.

About Bickford Theatre:
The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum is a professional theatre that produces and presents year- round entertainment, including a Main Stage Series, consisting of drama, comedies, thrillers, and musicals; two Children's Theatre series, and a Jazz Showcase. The theatre is a Senior Member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, a not-for-profit organization of 30 professional theatres throughout the state of New Jersey. The Bickford Theatre works in conjunction with Actors' Equity Association and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. The theatre also has educational opportunities for children and adults with its Brightest Start School for Performing Arts.
About The Morris Museum:
Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum explores and celebrates the arts, sciences and history through exhibitions, education programs, performing arts and special events. The museum serves over 200,000 adults and children each year.

The Morris Museum, located at 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morristown, NJ, is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults and $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Admission is always free for museum members and is free to the public every Thursday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, call 973.971.3700 or visit www.morrismuseum.org.
About Playwrights Theatre:
Founded in 1986, Playwrights Theatre is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit professional theatre and arts education institution dedicated to developing and nurturing the dramatic imagination of artists, students, and audiences. Our New Play Program creates development opportunities for professional writers through readings, workshops and productions, and invites audiences to participate in authentic feedback experiences. Our New Jersey Writers Project, Poetry Out Loud, New Jersey Young Playwrights Contest and Festival, and Creative Arts Academy programs provide a comprehensive and hands-on arts education experience to over 31,000 students, Pre-K through adult.

Writers in the New Play Program are drawn from across the country, including our affiliation with the National New Play Network, a nation-wide group of theatres dedicated to the development and production of new work. Teaching Artists in our Education Programs are professional artists working in their field in the New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. From 2003-2012, we have been designated a Major Arts Institution by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (along with only four other theatres: The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, George Street Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center and Paper Mill Playhouse) as "an anchor institution that contributes vitally to the quality of life in New Jersey."

Funding for our activities comes from: the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc., Bank of America, the Bay and Paul Foundation, The Bickford Foundation, Dramatist Guild Fund, Horizon Foundation of New Jersey, The Prudential Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Travelers, The Victoria Foundation, and many corporations, foundations and individuals.

Playwrights Theatre is a member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the National New Play Network, and Madison Arts & Culture Alliance.