Rep Theatre of St. Louis' Seth Gordon to Direct BILL W. AND DR. BOB at SoHo Playhouse, Beg. 7/8

Seth Gordon, associate artistic director of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) will direct the first off-Broadway revival of Bill W. and Dr. Bob by Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey. This compelling and triumphant play about the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) will be performed at the SoHo Playhouse in New York beginning July 8, 2013.

In 1929, Bill Wilson, a famous New York stockbroker, crashes with the stock market, becoming a miserable drunk. Meanwhile, Dr. BoB Smith, a surgeon in Akron, has been an alcoholic for thirty years, often going into the operating room with a hangover. Both are isolated, alone, and on the brink of death. Through an astonishing series of events, the two men are brought together and, realizing that "the only thing that can keep a drunk sober is telling his story to another drunk," forge a relationship. They help each other stay sober, and then pass on what they've learned to others. Nearly eight decades later, having never promoted itself, AA spans over 170 countries, with an estimated total of over 114,000 groups and more than two million members worldwide.

Gordon previously directed the successful run of Bill W. and Dr. Bob at the Cleveland Play House in 2010. "The Cleveland production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob sold out its run and its extension," said Gordon. "People came in buses from all over the Great Lakes region to see this story, which, in many cases, was their story. This play is certainly something very close to those who are in this particular fellowship, but even for those who are not it's a lovely story about how people can lift humanity by helping and healing each other. The hope is that a New York production can create a legacy for the story and a central location for people to enjoy what it has to offer."

For more information about the SoHo Playhouse production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob visit www.sohoplayhouse.com.

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