THE NEIGHBORHOOD to Have South Florida Premiere at PBIEA

The Palm Beach Institute for the Entertainment Arts will present the South Florida premiere of John J. Kelly's heartwarming play – The Neighborhood – over two weekends in April. The dates are April 17, 18, 19 and April 24, 25, 26. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:00 pm. Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 pm.

PBIEA is a small, intimate original concept theater with only 40 seats. Early reservations are needed to secure tickets. All plays/shows produced at PBIEA are “first time” events never seen before.

Written by award-winning playwright John J. Kelly and produced by Executive Director Donna M. Carbone, The Neighborhood is a story from the past about the present with a focus on the future. It is the heartwarming tale of a time and a place when neighbors were friends who could be counted on when they were needed – for whatever reason. In keeping with the time periods covered by this story, The Neighborhood will be presented in old-time radio play format with a modern day “twist.”

Meet Jacob Fleischman, 70, who owns a shoe repair shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The building and the business have been in the Fleishman family for generations. The city around him is changing in the most unpleasant and often dangerous ways, but Jacob and his long-time neighbors refuse to move or alter the way they look at life. Author John Kelly will be present for the premiere performance on Friday – April 17th.

Starring as Jacob Fleischman is PBIEA repertory company member Joseph “Joe” Klan. Joe brings wide world experience to the role having served two tours of duty in the Middle East with the Marine Corps. He was also a New York City police officer for 10 years, based in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The cast also includes repertory company members Karen Chimato as Jacob's daughter Sarah, Luule Suozzi as real estate agent Ruth Regan, and Carole Kramer as long-time friend Inge Kleinfeld. Rounding out the cast are Scott Dickinson as Tony, Anthony Zeitland as Ernesto, Bunta Yamazaki as Mr. Sato, and Belen Madrigal as his daughter Leia. Vincent Chimato, a Los Angeles actor, will be flying in to assume the role of narrator.

The Institute is located in the former Twin City Mall next to True Treasures Consignment store. The address is 133 U.S. Highway One – Suite 115 – North Palm Beach 33408. When using GPS, it is best to search True Treasures as the store has a bigger footprint on Google. More information and tickets, which cost $30.00, are available by calling Donna Carbone at 561 743-9955. Please note: due to the intimate size of the venue, all ticket holders must be in their seats 10 minutes before show time. Once the lights go out, no one will be admitted.

PBIEA is a community-minded non-profit. It is both a school and a theater. The Institute's focus is education through entertainment.