Marilu Henner and Shannon Purser Will Lead THE ASK Off-Broadway
This marks Shannon Purser's New York stage debut.
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Five-time Golden Globe Award nominee Marilu Henner and Shannon Purser (Netflix’s “Stranger Things”) will star together on stage this fall in the off-Broadway commercial premiere of The Ask, a new play by Matthew Freeman, directed by Jessi D. Hill.
Preview performances begin Tuesday, October 6, with opening night set for Tuesday, October 13. The Ask plays a strictly limited engagement at Theater 555 (555 West 42nd Street) through Sunday, November 22. Tickets are now on sale.
In The Ask, a donor meeting in an Upper West Side apartment erupts into a gripping battle of wills. Greta (Henner), a longtime donor with strong progressive views, meets with Tanner (Purser), a young ACLU fundraiser sent to secure a significant gift. As the two confront each other with wit, conviction and wariness, their shared ideals give way to unexpected divisions, exposing the cultural and emotional fault lines that separate their generations.
This marks Shannon Purser's New York stage debut.
The production will feature set design by Craig Napoliello, costume design by Nicole Wee, lighting design by Venus Gulbranson, and sound design by Ben Scheff. Casting is by Geoff Josselson Casting.
The Ask is produced by Adam Cohen and general managed by Jessica R. Jenen for JRJ Productions LLC and Staci Levine for Groundswell Theatricals, Inc. Jessica R. Jenen also serves as executive producer.
The Ask previously had a critically acclaimed production, directed by Jessi D. Hill, at The Wild Project in New York City:
About the Cast
Marilu Henner (Greta). With the energy of a teenager, the wisdom of a sage, and the memory of a superhero, five-time Golden Globe nominee Marilu Henner has done it all. Broadway: Gettin’ the Band Back Together, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Chicago, Pal Joey, Grease; National Tours: Annie Get Your Gun (Jefferson Award), Chicago, Grease; Off Broadway: Pen Pals, The Journals of Adam & Eve, Madwomen of the West (NYC, LA, London). She's appeared in 79 films, including Noises Off, L.A. Story, and Hammett, plus 31 Hallmark movies, and starred in the Emmy-winning sitcoms “Taxi” and “Evening Shade,” with numerous appearances on shows including “Grey's Anatomy,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” A New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including Total Health Makeover, Total Memory Makeover, and Changing Normal: How I Helped My Husband Beat Cancer, Marilu has testified before Congress eleven times on subjects including Alzheimer's disease, dietary supplements, and child nutrition, and helped shape the government's food pyramid in 2004 and 2014. One of only twelve people documented with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), Henner was the subject of a five-part “60 Minutes” special and served as consultant on CBS’s “Unforgettable;” she's currently the subject of a new Calliope Pictures documentary on memory. She competed on “Celebrity Apprentice,” “Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars,” and “Dancing with the Stars,” and tours nationally in her critically acclaimed one-woman show, Memory Girl!
SHANNON PURSER (Tanner) is perhaps best known for her scene-stealing performance as fan-favorite ‘Barb’ on the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” for which she received an Emmy nomination. She has kept a busy career since. Shannon recently made her stage debut in The Pasadena Playhouse's acclaimed production of La Cage Aux Folles and currently appears in season two of the CBS hit series Watson. She also played the recurring role of ‘Ethel Muggs’ on the CW's “Riverdale” for executive producer Greg Berlanti, appeared opposite Joey King in Wish Upon, and played the titular lead in Black Label Media’s Netflix feature Sierra Burgess Is a Loser. Shannon has appeared in every episode of Jason Katims' NBC musical drama “Rise” and can also be seen in the Showtime series “The First Lady.”
