The Pearl Presents An Evening With O. Henry 12/4

THE Pearl Theatre Company (J.R. Sullivan, Artistic Director) presents a one-night special event, AN EVENING WITH O. Henry, Sunday, December 4, 2011 at the legendary Players Club in Gramercy Park. Featuring works by the beloved American author and adding songs that celebrate the city itself, AN EVENING WITH O. Henry will benefit The Pearl with proceeds going to support the company's work on stage.

Several of O. Henry's celebrated tales will be featured, including the holiday classic The Gift of the Magi. Resident company members Lee Stark and Dan Daily will be joined by Simon Kendall, appearing The Pearl's current production of Richard II, as well as vocalists Lilian Matsuda and Marcella Rose Sciotto. The Pearl's artistic director J. R. Sullivan has adapted the stories for The Players Club performance.

O. Henry, pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862 - 1910), came to New York City in 1902, and shortly after began to publish at an astounding rate, producing a short story every week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. With wit and humor he told tales unlikely heroes, exploring tensions between class and wealth through intimate human moments with the city's colorful underdogs. Especially celebrated for the classic twists his memorable short stories invariably featured, O. Henry's works have remained perennially popular, having never gone out of print from the time of their first publications in the early 20th century.

"It is a great pleasure to present a few of these great stories in a performance setting, especially with the talents we have assembled for this special event," according to J. R. Sullivan, who will also serve as host and narrator for the show. "O. Henry was and remains a New York classic, and our company is all about the classics."

The Players Club, situated only blocks from where Porter lived, is a social club and national historic landmark on Gramercy Park. Founded by Edwin Booth in 1888 to promote "social intercourse between members of the dramatic profession and the kindred professions of literature, painting, architecture, sculpture and music, law and medicine, and the patrons of the art," The Players is now a social club and storehouse of American and British theatre history, memorabilia, and artifacts. Famous members have included Eugene O'Neill, John Barrymore, JP Morgan, and Norman Rockwell.

The Pearl Theatre Company plays a vital role in the cultural life of New York City and its surrounding region by creating productions that explore and illuminate the human condition. Dedicated to bringing the classics of world theatre to broad audiences, The Pearl is an artistic home for a diverse company of theatre professionals, especially a core company of resident actors. The Pearl provides engagement opportunities that both educate and enrich the experiences of artists, students, and audiences.

The Pearl is performing its 2011-12 mainstage productions at New York City Center Stage II. The company's production of Shakespeare's RICHARD II is currently running through December 24, 2011, followed by THE PHILANDERER by Shaw in January 2012 and A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN by Eugene O'Neill in March 2012.

The Pearl is currently offering subscription packages for the season. For subscription tickets and information, please visit www.pearltheatre.org or contact 212-598-9802.

For individual tickets to The Pearl's mainstage productions at New York City Center, visit NYCityCenter.org or call 212-581-1212.

Event Ticketing and Performance Information
To purchase tickets to An Evening with O. Henry, please visit www.pearltheatre.org or call 212-505-3401.

Ticket Prices:
Tickets to the event are $150 each ($95 tax deductible) and include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Event Sponsorships are also available.

Directions:
The Pearl's event will take place at The Players Club, located at 16 Gramercy Park South between Park Avenue South and Third Avenue.

The Player's Club can be reached by taking the N/Q/R/4/5/6/L to Union Square.

By Bus m15, m14a, m14d, m23, m101, m102, m103

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