CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY Kicks Off LBP Studio Season

The Long Beach Playhouse opens its 2018 Studio Season with Lynn Nottage's play entitled Crumbs from the Table of Joy. The play has been described as a cross between Tennessee Williams' A Glass Menagerie and Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin the Sun.

Set in 1950, it is the story of a grieving widower named Godfrey Crump who hopes he can find peace in the religious teachings of a man named Father Divine and by moving his teenage daughters from their home in Florida to Brooklyn, New York.

"The protagonist of the story is Mr. Crump's daughter, Ernestine. She takes us on a memory-journey of her 17-year-old self when her head is filled with the happy endings in her beloved movies, her Aunt Lily's pseudo-sophisticated musings on life, and the realities of the time," said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse's Executive Director.

The play's title comes from a Langston Hughes poem which opens with the line "Sometimes a crumb falls from the tables of joy." The poem - entitled Luck - juxtaposes life's serendipity with the allure of love and heaven with no clear winner but a sense of triumph in the pursuit of both. These same truths and forces are brought to bear on the Crump family as they navigate the needs of the family members and the reality of the 1950s.

"Lynn Nottage uses language to create urban poetry in this play. Her words and phrases are evocative, rhythmic and rich. Each character wrestles with his or her beliefs, fears, and dreams. There are clashes, redemption and, in the end, hope," said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "I think our audiences will relate to the characters, to the longings that motivate them, to the disappointments that they overcome and to their humanity."

Directing this show is Diane Benedict, a professor of Theater Arts at Loyola Marymount University. Ms. Benedict spent a year as a Fulbright Scholar in the Russian Federation at the Moscow Art Theatre. She has received several awards including the Lillian Hellman and John Gielgud acting awards from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

"Diane Benedict is an accomplished actor and director. We feel very lucky to have her bringing her considerable expertise and talent to this show," said Gray. "Her Curriculum Vitae is a staggering list of accomplishments that represents every facet of theatre arts."

Actors making their Playhouse debuts are: Symphony Canady, Janay Wilder and Gabriella Dormiere. Returning actors are Jermaine Alexander and Loren Bowen.
Mooney summed up the show by saying, "This will be an audience favorite for the season. It's a story that will evoke tears, laughter and joy. I know the audience will be glad they came."

Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00Saturday and Sunday: Adults are $24.00, Seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.
To request an interview with the director, cast members or reserve your media tickets to this performance, please send an email to: pr@lbplayhouse.org.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.