THE TALE OF THE ALLERGIST'S WIFE At The Boca Raton Theatre Guild

(Iris Acker Is Pictured)

Patti Gardner, Barbara Sloan and Iris Acker 
in the BRTG
Production of
Tales of the Allergist's Wife

Director Genie Croft and Artistic Director Keith Garsson present The Boca Raton Theatre Guild's upcoming production of The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. The award-winning comedy, which will open at the Willow Theatre in Boca Raton's Sugar Sand Park on November 4th, is one of playwright Charles Busch's most successful plays - it ran on Broadway for over two years. Patti Gardner, Barbara Sloan, Iris Acker, and Michael Beecher have all signed on to bring Busch's characters to life.  

The Tale of the Allergist's Wife is a comedic exploration of the Upper West side life of Marjorie Taub - middle-aged and middle-class - her loving husband, Ira, and her daily routines at Zabar's and the 92nd Street "Y." Marjorie's mother lives down the hall obsessing constantly about her digestive tract; her beloved therapist has just died; and she loses it in a Disney store. Unexpectedly invading her depression is her flamboyant childhood friend Lee who becomes entrenched in the Taub household as a seemingly permanent guest, not only drawing Marjorie out of her dark mood, but affecting her marriage as well.  

Patti Gardner (Marjory) is a multi-Carbonell Award nominee who has acted on most of South Florida Stages. She was awarded a Carbonell for her performance in Lips Together, Teeth Apart at Palm Beach Dramaworks. Some of her recent performances include Clybourne Park (at the Caldwell), Unreasonable Doubt, Oliver (at Actor's Playhouse), and Superior Donuts, Defiance and Speech & Debate (at Gable Stage). Patti has played ‘The Soap Star' in Menopause: The Musical nationally for the past nine years.

Barbara Sloan's (Lee) recent work includes Animals Out of Paper, the world premiere of Nilo Cruz's The Color of Desire, as well as the one-woman show High Dive. Some of her other performances include Raised in Captivity, Kissing, Nervous Smile, and A Town Like Irving. Barbara's performances in Wit, The Book of Ruth, Strange Snow, Burn This, and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove all earned her Carbonell Award nominations.

Iris Acker (Frieda) has appeared in New York (Suddenly Last Summer, Taste of Honey, Look Homeward Angel, Carousel); in national touring productions (Fiddler on the Roof with Kurt Kazner, Come Blow Your Horn with Lou Jacobi and Bruce Adler, Last of the Red Hot Lovers with Jackie Mason, and Marriage Go Round with Julie Newmar). Locally, Iris has acted in numerous productions, including two directed by Jose Ferrer. Aside from her many accomplishments as an actor, Iris Acker is a respected and beloved member of the national and South Florida theatrical community. She currently hosts ‘On Stage With Iris Acker' on BECON TV.

Michael Beecher (Ira) has been appearing on South Florida Stages for 20 years. Some of his recent work includes 12 Angry Men at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, and a role on A&E TVs ‘The Glades'. He has also appeared in Moonlight & Magnolias at the Delray Beach Playhouse, and The Deadly Game, at the Barn in Stuart.  

Genie Croft is no stranger to the Boca Raton Theatre Guild - she has helmed a number of their recent offerings, including Chapter Two, Other People's Money, and last season's hit production of Broadway Bound. Genie is a founding member and the Artistic Director of The Women's Theatre Project and has directed all their productions, and created their original staged readings. She has also directed a variety of musicals, and original theatrical pieces for a number of theatres throughout Florida. She was also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Plantation Players, Ft. Lauderdale Theatre Co., and Theatre Company of Plantation. Genie is a recipient of the Wilks Award for significant contributions by women in professional theatre.

The Tale of the Allergist's Wife will run from November 4th through November 20th.Performances are: Wednesday - Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 South Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for The Tale of the Allergist's Wife are $18 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office: 561-347-3948.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theatre in the South Florida community.

For more information about The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and/or the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, please visit www.brtg.org.

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