BILL W. AND DR. BOB to End Off-Broadway Run on 5/4

BILL W. AND DR. BOB - the critically acclaimed play by Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey that Variety calls "deeply human, audience embracing, [and] a remarkable story" will conclude its Off-Broadway run at Soho Playhouse (15 Vandam Street) on Sunday, May 4th, it has been announced by Dr. Shem and Dr. Surrey, and General Manager Darren Lee Cole. BILL W. AND DR. BOB is sponsored by Hazelden/Betty Ford Foundation.

When it plays its final performance on May 4th, BILL W. AND DR. BOB will have played 243 performances and 8 preview performance, and will have run into its eleventh month.

BILL W. AND DR. BOB is a universally inspiring story about triumph, determination and camaraderie. BILL W. AND DR. BOB goes beyond the lives of Bill and Bob and their wives, and looks at how communities can come together to heal themselves and find direction and purpose that can help millions. BILL W. AND DR. BOB has been staged in acclaimed productions throughout the world, including the Lyceum Theatre in San Diego, the New Repertory Theatre in Boston, the Cleveland Playhouse, the Carriage Works Theatre in Sydney Australia, San Jose Rep, to name a few.

Directed by Seth Gordon (Associate Artistic Director, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), the cast of BILL W. AND DR. BOB features Patrick Boll as "Bill Wilson", Steve Brady as "Dr. Bob Smith," Denise Cormier as "Lois Wilson," Deborah Hedwall as "Anne Smith," Michael Frederic, Kelli Ruttle, Bruce Ward and Kati Brazda.

The design team for BILL W. AND DR. BOB is Wilson Chin (Scenic Design), Teresa Snider-Stein (Costume Design), Ann G. Wrightson (Lighting Design), and Kortney Barber (Sound Design).

The play has been lauded-for its authenticity, its humanity and its humor-by critics and audiences alike. When it opened in July 2013, Anita Gates of The New York Times said "Sharp performances, Seth Gordon's solid direction and a purpose-driven script (that never forgets the humor of the human experience) make this production a satisfying revival." The Huffington Post said, "What's so moving about the production, pierced with dark humor and terrible suffering, is the understanding that individuals can alter their destiny. That makes Bill W. and Dr. Bob both inspiring and remarkable. The performances are raw and all too real. Seth Gordon has directed a gripping human story...Playwrights Sam Shem and Janet Surrey reveal all the ugly realities of alcoholism and it devastation on families, but the play's thrust is to spread a message of hope, in a strong theatrical vehicle-a reminder that there is power in community." TheatreMania.com said, "Bill W. and Dr. Bob is a truly fascinating American story that should be seen by a wide audience. Shem and Surrey have developed a startlingly emotional and dramatic script."

When the show was first produced in NYC, in 2007, The New York Times called it "an insightful new play," and The New Yorker described it as "an endearing portrait of friendship uplifted by warm humor." Variety has called the play "deeply human and audience-embracing." The Boston Globe deemed it "inspiring" and "a textured, truthful telling of AA's story," and wrote that the play provides "evocative portraits of two complex men, without portraying either as an untarnished hero." The San Francisco Chronicle described the show as "surprisingly entertaining, engrossing, and touching," and found that "most moving is in the growing bond between Lois and Anne, the wives." TalkinBroadway.com, among many others, pointed out that "you don't have to be an alcoholic or a member of AA to enjoy this-this is what good theatre should be."

Performance schedule for BILL W. AND DR. BOB is Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm. Tickets are $79 General Admission; with $20 rush tickets available at the box office two hours prior to curtain. Tickets can be purchased by calling 212-691-1555, by visiting www.billwanddrbob.com/get-tickets/ or by visiting the Soho Playhouse Box Office (open Tuesday - Saturday 12:00pm to 8:00pm).