Austin Pendleton Directs June Daniel White in WE LOVE YOU, BUT NO! at Kraine Theater, Now thru 9/17

We Love You, But No!, a new comedy written by and featuring June Daniel White* opens at the Kraine Theater tonight, September 10th. Austin Pendleton directs.

Mamie Gayle Monroe, an ace waitress at a Tallahassee diner is also a long time stage actress who over the years has continued to maintain her dream of being in the movies. One day, tired of men patting her behind and taking orders for “gaggy” fried egg sandwiches, she needs little more impetus to quit her job than her boss telling her that she’s too old for Hollywood. Deciding that it’s either now or never, she throws a few clothes and some acting awards into a suitcase and boards a Greyhound bus. Poor but determined, she arrives in Hollywood, finds an agent and goes on audition after audition for films but always receives the same response from casting directors; “We love you, but no!”. Finally dropped by her agent, living out of her car, and told by her pro bono therapist that she suffers from the inability to lose hope, Mamie’s luck changes dramatically when she attends an open call for a film with an unnamed star who turns out to be none other than Brad Pitt.

June Daniel White appeared as Jessie in ‘Night Mother at the Seattle Rep, Steffy in I Ought To Be In Pictures at Barter Theatre in Virginia, Mrs. Cratchit in A Christmas Carol and Woman in Death of A Salesman both at Actors Theater of Louisville. In Los Angeles she played Popeye in The Miss Firecracker Contest, Lacey Rollins in The Lucky Spot at the Hyperion and Truvy in Steel Magnolias at the Odyssey. On television she co-starred in Johnny Bago on CBS. She has done stand-up comedy in New York at The Comic Strip and Catch A Rising Star and in Los Angeles at Igby’s, The Comedy Store and The Ice House, among others. As a singer she performed with her own band, “Fever” in clubs in New York and L.A. June is a member of The Playwrights Unit at HB Studios where We Love You, But No! and her play Things From The Ocean were developed.

Actor, playwright, director and teacher Austin Pendleton has been awarded a Drama Desk Special Award as Renaissance Man of the American Theatre. Among his directorial credits is The Little Foxes on Broadway with Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. He won an Obie Award for his direction of Three Sisters at Classic Stage Company with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Saarsgard. As an ensemble member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, he directed Ralph Pape’s Say Goodnight Gracie, and appeared in their productions of Educating Rita and Uncle Vanya. He won both Obie and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Performance in The Last Sweet Days of Isaac. His film appearances include featured roles in A Beautiful Mind, Catch-22, Home for the Holidays, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, My Cousin Vinny, The Front Page and Wall Street: The Money Never Sleeps. He authored the plays Uncle Bob, Booth and Orson’s Shadow.

We Love You, But No! begins a limited run tonight, September 10th at the Kraine Theater (85 East 4th Street between 2nd and 3rd Aves.). Performances are Monday September 10th at 8:30PM, Tuesday September 11th and Monday September 17th at 7PM. Tickets are $18 and $10 for students/seniors. For tickets and information go to www.smarttix.com or call (212) 868-4444.

(*Member of Actors Equity)