George Street Playhouse Announces Lineup for 2018-19 Season

George Street Playhouse, temporarily located at 103 College Farm Road in New Brunswick, will open its 2018-19 5-play season on October 16th with the world premiere of a riveting courtroom drama. The season also features a world premiere musical about the legendary Nina Simone, written by and starring Laiona Michelle who gave a searing performance in last season's American Hero.

In addition, the season offers a recent Broadway hit comedy with a twist; and two extraordinary and heartwarming plays about family and devotion - including this year's recipient of the esteemed Laurents/Hatcher Award, Too Heavy for Your Pocket.

At the close of the 2018-19 season, the Playhouse will take residence in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center now under construction in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theaters, the move back to Livingston Avenue will mark a new era in George Street Playhouse's esteemed history.

Season subscriptions are now on sale. Subscribers to the 2018-19 season receive up to 20% off regular prices, and priority access to seating in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center when it opens in October of 2019. For information, visit www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org or call 732-246-7717.

The season begins with the world premiere of The Trial of Donna Caine by Walter Anderson, former editor of Parade Magazine and Chairman and CEO of Parade Publications.

When Marine Staff Sergeant Donna Caine is accused of a serious crime, highly respected attorney Emily Zola Ginsberg is convinced to take the case. Fighting for her client's future, Ginsberg finds herself taking on the military establishment in order to expose the truth. Inspired by actual events, this riveting courtroom drama is filled with intrigue that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

The Trial of Donna Caine is directed by Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint and will begin on October 16th and continue through November 11th.

Next is the recent Broadway hit A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath and directed by Betsy Aidem. A Doll's House, Part 2 will run from November 27th through December 23rd.

When we last saw Nora Helmer, she was slamming the door on life as she knew it -- embarking on a brave, bold and shocking new life as a woman on her own. Fifteen years later, she's returned to that door, with a high-stakes game of unfinished business on her mind. Featuring characters from Ibsen's groundbreaking masterpiece, The New York Times called this Tony Award-nominated play "A smart, funny and utterly engrossing play," and Time Out New York called it "modern in its language...and suspenseful in its plotting."

The new year will begin with a world premiere musical - Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical -- written by and starring Laiona Michelle who gave a critically acclaimed performance in last season's drama American Hero. This exuberant world premiere musical reveals a life in-between the black and white keys -- a passionate journey from classical piano child prodigy to the High Priestess of Soul, told through the words and music of American icon Nina Simone. This new musical will begin on January 29th and continue through February 24th.

Next is the critically acclaimed play The Immigrant written by Mark Harelik and directed by Jim Jack. When Russian-Jewish emigrant Haskell Harelik arrives at the port of Galveston, Texas in 1909 seeking refuge from his homeland and with only his banana cart in tow, he finds compassion and friendship from an unlikely couple, and creates a pastoral life for his family. Broadway World said The Immigrant is "Timely and touching...don't miss this extraordinary look at a family's journey toward living the American dream." The Immigrant will run from March 12th to April 7th.

The 2018-19 season will finish with a new play - Too Heavy For Your Pocket by Jiréh Breon Holder and directed by LA Williams. Tennessee-born Holder takes us back to Nashville, in the summer of 1961 as the Freedom Riders embark on a courageous journey into the Deep South. When 20-year-old Bowzie Brandon gives up a life-changing college scholarship to join the movement, he'll have to convince his loved ones - and himself - that shaping his country's future might be worth jeopardizing his own. Recipient of the 2017 Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award, The New York Times called the play "illuminating and moving." Too Heavy For Your Pocket will begin performances on April 23 and continue through May 19th.

For more information about the 2018-19 season visit www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org or call 732-246-7717.

Season subscriptions offer savings of up to 20% off regular prices, priority seating, ticket exchange privileges, and priority access to seating in the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center. Full season subscriptions begin at $165 for all 5 plays. Three play subscriptions are also available and start at $105.

The new performing arts complex on Livingston Avenue is set to open in the Fall of 2019 and will feature two state-of-the-art theaters; one an intimate size and the other larger and suited for the productions of plays and musicals. George Street Playhouse will take residence in the new facility in Fall of 2019 to inaugurate its 2019-2020 season.

About George Street Playhouse
George Street Playhouse, under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint and Managing director Kelly Ryman, is a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway, including the Outer Critics' Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger; the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In 2015, George Street Playhouse was represented by two productions in New York with the Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You and Joe DiPietro's Clever Little Lies, which opened off-Broadway that same year. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP's Touring Educational Theatre features three issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

About GSP's Educational Programming

The centerpiece of George Street Playhouse's educational programming is its touring theatre, which commissions and produces first-class productions with relevant themes for young audiences, such as respect, conflict resolution, health and wellness, and climate change. Each play is followed by a post-play discussion providing excellent starting points for engaging classroom conversations that can be used to fulfill New Jersey Common Core State Standards. GSP's Educational Touring Theatre features three issue-oriented productions seen by more than 40,000 students annually during the academic year. GSP's Theatre Academy, which offers classes throughout the year, focuses on the process of creative self-expression - enhancing students' artistry and creative problem-solving skills, while building self-esteem and a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts. For further information on any of GSP's educational opportunities, visit www.GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org, email education@georgestplayhouse.org, or call 732-846-2895, extension 117.

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