Photo Flash: PERSONALS at Out of Box Theatre

Before we were Bumbling and Mingling and Swiping Right, there were Personals - ads for those looking for love. And before there was the television hit show Friends. The creators took a stab and making a musical that would later help them lay the groundwork for that show. Out of Box Theatre's production of Personals gives you a chance to see the seeds from which the familiar characters of Friends grew. Most of them are there: the commitmentophobe, the tidyness freak, the carefree philanderer, the geek...plus an impossible mother for good measure.

Whether addressing newspaper classifieds, Internet dating or singles bars, Personals features a collection of sketches and songs that never fails to be clever, catchy and touching. Eight writers and composers collaborated on the musical, including Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors), creating an endlessly entertaining tribute to the pursuit of love in the modern age.

Director Zip Rampy (Evil Dead, A Public Education, Pillowman) put together a cast with extensive musical theatre chops, including Out of Box returning actors Steven DeVillers (Fun Home, Company, Assassins), and Patrick Hill (Company, Working, Side by Side by Sondheim) along with newcomers Kate Johnson, Katie Patterson, Ashton Montgomery and Chris Lange. Lauren Rosenzweig (Evil Dead, Company) returns as choreographer.

Bring a date or look for one at this fun, lighthearted musical revue about love, loss, lust and loneliness in the realm of New York personal ads.

Personals runs March 14 - 23, 2020. Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $30 for general seating. Call 678-653-4605 or go to www.outofboxtheatre.com for more information.