Mile Square Theatre Presents DRIVING MISS DAISY

Mile Square Theatre, Hudson County's leading professional theatre, kicks off its 2018 season with Alfred Uhry's powerful masterpiece Driving Miss Daisy. Set in the South between the late 40's and early 70's, the play explores an unlikely friendship between an elderly white Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her African-American chauffer, Hoke Colburn.

"When looking for a play to open the 2018 season, I was searching for a work that dealt with the tension between race and class and decided to re-read Alfred Uhry's well known play Driving Miss Daisy." says MST Artistic Director Chris O'Connor. "I was moved by its heart and its strength as a work of drama. And it's still very relevant in a time in the world when tolerance and acceptance are under assault by a rising tide of bigotry."

Driving Miss Daisy begins performances on January 31 and runs till February 25. Opening night and the 2018 Season Opening Celebration is February 2.

The cast includes Barbara Broughton (Broadway's Sunday in the Park with George), Count Stovall (Broadway's A Streetcar Named Desire), and Matthew Lawler (MST's Betrayal and ABC's The Family).

The creative team, led by director Mark Cirnigliaro (The Net Will Appear) includes MST resident scenic designer Matthew J. Fick (The Net Will Appear), MST resident costume designer Peter Fogel (Betrayal, 39 Steps), and lighting designer Justin Partier (The Net Will Appear).

Driving Miss Daisy, presented by Mile Square Theatre

1400 Clinton Street, Hoboken

January 31 through February 25. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm, and Sundays @ 3pm

Tickets available at www.milesquaretheatre.org, or by calling 201-683-7014.

Tickets are $30-40 • $18 students and seniors. $15 previews on 1/31 and 2/1.

Discount Parking available at The Harlow at 1330 Willow Avenue and at Little Man Parking at 1300 Jefferson Street.

For more information on Mile Square Theatre, please visit www.milesquaretheatre.org.

MST Season Sponsorship: Advance Realty, Bijou Properties, Carepoint Health, CSBK, Halstead Property, Ironstate, Jet.com, Little City Books, The Rockefeller Group

Mile Square Theatre is supported by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Thomas A. Degise, County Executive, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Mile Square Theatre is a member of The New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

COMPANY BIOS:

Barbara Broughton (Daisy) is delighted to be appearing for the first time at Mile Square Theatre. Her Broadway credits include Sunday In The Park With George (James Lapine directing) and Music Music at City Center. Her numerous Off-Broadway credits include most recently Grey Gardens (standby Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson premieer production Playwrights Horizons), Concertina's Rainbow (Frau Stiglitz at The Cherry Lane Theatre), The Red Truck (Susan at The Epic Theatre), Johnny Pye and the Foolkiller (Mrs.Miller at The Lamb's Theatre), A Little Night Music (Charlotte at The York Theatre) and Pets (Susan at Theatre East). Her regional theatre appearances include Studio Theatre DC (Big Eddie in Grey Gardens), Connecticut Rep (Emelia in Comedy Of Errors), Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Marianne in The Bird Sanctuary, Mrs. Potts in Beauty and The Beast, Bird Lady and Katie Nana in Mary Poppins), Portland Center Stage and Syracuse Stage (Polly in Other Desert Cities), Dallas Theatre Center (Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice), Northern Stage (Esther in The Price), Pittsburgh Public Theatre (Mme. De Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Annabelle in George Washington Slept Here), The BoarsHead Theatre, (Mercy Lott in Humble Boy), The Hangar Theatre (Dolly in Hello Dolly), The Pioneer Theatre (Mrs. Higgins in My Fair Lady), Actor's Theatre of Louisville (Jenny in Quilters), Pittsburgh CLO, (Abigail in 1776), as well as roles at Geva Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Goodspeed Opera and Kansas City Starlight, among others. She has appeared in the National Tours of Company (Sarah), Cover Girls (Delores), and George M! (Ethel Levy). Recent TV and film credits include Law and Order, The Sunset Gang (PBS) and The Producers Movie Musical.

Count Stovall (Hoke) Broadway: A Streetcar Named Desire w/ Blair Underwood, Carmen de Lavellade, Driving Miss Daisy w/ James Earl Jones & Vannessa Redgrave, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof w/ Phylicia Rashad, Inacent Black, A Philadelphia Story w/ Blythe Danner. Recently The Last Days of Judas Iscariot directed by Estelle Parsons, NEC's Day of Absence, Proof, TV: Madame Secretary, Army Wives, Law & Order, All My Children, As The World Turns. Film: Jack Goes Boating directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. 2017 AUDELCO Recognition Award winner Best Supporting Actor in Richard Wesley's Autumn produced by The Billie Holiday Theatre. Member of The Actors Studio and the Ensemble Studio Theatre. Count celebrates his fiftieth year of acting, directing as he makes his MST debut.

Matthew Lawler (Boolie) is perhaps best known for his role as Special Agent Gabe Clements on the critically acclaimed ABC series, The Family which starred Joan Allen. Other TV includes recent guest star roles on The Blacklist (opposite Nathan Lane), Bull and Elementary. Other TV includes: House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, Unforgettable. Upcoming on film, Matt plays Dun Gifford in Chappaquiddick with Kate Mara, Ed Helms, Bruce Dern, and Jason Clarke, and Coach John in Twelve. Other Films include: God's Pocket, Anything But Love, Knight and Day, and Filmic Achievement. Onstage, he has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally including shows at the Roundabout, Playwrights Horizons, Rattlestick, George Street Playhouse, and several shows with The New Group. He was a co-founder of the award-winning theater company, rUDE mECHANICALS and served as a leader in the company throughout its 12-year span. Matthew has directed and acted in several shows at MST including God Of Carnage, Circle Mirror Transformation, and Betrayal. He has an MFA from the American Conservatory Theater.

MARK CIRNIGLIARO (Director) - NYC Credits: Dipti Mehta's Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan, "5 Stars"-Time Out New York; Judgment of Fools by Bernardo Cubria (Intar)' Hounds of War by Bill Holland, "Must See"- BroadwayWorld.com, Heyhowareya by Megan Hart (Project Y WIT). Mile Square Theatre credits: The Net Will Appear by Erin Mallon (World Premiere), Cyrano, Goodnight Moon, It's a Wonderful Life. Mark is the Associate Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre and a company member of InViolet Theatre Company. Rutgers MGSA MFA in Directing. Dean John I. Bettenbender Award for Artistic Excellence. Honourcmc.com for information and tour dates. Markdirects.com for more information and production photos.

CHRIS O'CONNOR (MST Artistic Director/Producer) Chris is Founding Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. In 2017, he received an Award of Excellence from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for his leadership as Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre. He conceived and produces the annual 10-minute play festival 7th Inning Stretch and has directed over 25 productions at MST. Chris has directed at theatres and universities all over America, most recently at Lyric Repertory in Logan, Utah, where he directed The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. His recent work at Mile Square Theatre includes Betrayal, Circle Mirror Transformation and the world premiere of Long Gone Daddy by Joseph Gallo. As an actor, Chris has performed in such theatres as Franklin Stage Company, Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre, The Culture Project, Soho Rep, The Ahmanson, Gloucester Stage, Provisional Theatre of Los Angeles, The Bathhouse Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, City Theatre in Pittsburgh, where he originated the role of Peter in Craig Wright's The Pavilion, and recently at Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Billy Elliot. Recent TV credits include Magic City and Burn Notice. His plays for young people have been produced at Seattle Children's Theatre, his short baseball play The Mascots is published in Smith & Kraus's 2011 Best 10-Minute Plays and his play Miss Ring Has Lost Her Phone was a finalist in the 2016 City Theatre National Short Play Competition. He is an Assistant Professor on the Theatre Arts faculty at Molloy College. Chris holds a BF