Arden Theatre Company's FUNNYMAN Begins Tonight

When Director Ridley Scott accepted his Golden Globe Award last Sunday for The Martian in the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category, the first words he said as he stepped to the podium and teetered his hand back and forth was, "A comedy?"

Philadelphia playwright Bruce Graham can relate. His new play, FUNNYMAN, premieres tonight at the Arden Theatre Company.

FUNNYMAN takes place in 1959 and is about an aging comic who is forced to adapt to the changing tastes and times in post-war America. Funny zingers may fly out of the mouths of all the characters, and some of the scenarios are smile or even laugh-inducing, but at its heart the play deals with some heavy subjects.

Says Graham, a native of Delco who tried his hand at stand-up to put himself through college, "I never met a happy comedian. They're all sad."

Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen adds, "There are certainly dark sides to FUNNYMAN. Father/Daughter relationships, aging, burying painful memories, a turbulent post-war America, and yet audiences will laugh their way through this show."

Graham has had a crackerjack theatre season. His STELLA AND LOU ran at People's Light in Malvern last summer, ACCORDING TO GOLDMAN was at Act II Playhouse in Ambler and his play RIZZO gained critical praise and a frenzy of media attention during its run at Theatre Exile in October.

FUNNYMAN runs through March 6, 2016 at Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia. For tickets call 215.922.1122 or visit www.ardentheatre.org.

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