MISS PELL IS MISSING Plays MITF's Reading Series 7/29

Wildcat Theatricals will present a staged reading of Leonard Gershe's 1962 comedy Miss Pell is Missing at the June Havoc Theatre (312 W. 36 St.) on Thursday, July 29 at 12:30 and Friday, July 30 at 3:30, as part of the 11th Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival's (MITF) Reading Series.

Directed by Daniel Haley, the cast for the reading of Miss Pell is Missing includes Michelle Pruiett (The Little Mermaid-Broadway), Jay Russell (The Play What I Wrote-Broadway, Our Town), Morgan Sills, Caroline de Fauw*, Nikki Switzer, Scott Breitbart*, David Niles and Rebecca Burton.

Aunt Augusta Pell has gone missing! Where is she? Whodunit? What happened? Gershe's charming comic caper, suggested by a story by Saki, was produced in the West End starring Wilfrid Hyde-White and in summer stock and on tour starring Edward Everett Horton. This staged reading is the NYC premiere of Miss Pell is Missing, and the MITF staged reading presentation is dedicated to the memory of Leonard Gershe.

Leonard Gershe (playwright) was born in New York City in 1922. His Broadway work includes the revue Alive and Kicking (1950), the libretto of Destry Rides Again (1959) and his most famous play, Butterflies are Free (1969) which ran for 1128 performances. In Hollywood, Gershe and Roger Edens wrote "Born in a Trunk" for the Judy Garland/James Mason A Star is Born (1954). Gershe and Edens collaborated again on three songs for the Edens-produced film Funny Face (1957) with Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, and Kay Thompson. Gershe received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen for Funny Face. Other screenplays include the film adaptations of Forty Carats (1973), Butterflies are Free (1972), Silk Stockings (1957), and the narration for That's Entertainment: Part II (1976). For television, Gershe scripted episodes of Private Secretary, The Ann Sothern Show, The Lucy Show and The Donna Reed Show. He died in California in March 2002.

WILDCAT THEATRICALS (producer) is a theatre company dedicated to new productions and readings of entertaining classics by authors from the golden age of Broadway. Previous productions include A Shot in the Dark (MITF 2008), the award-winning revival of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (MITF 2007), and My 3 Angels (2004).

Admission is FREE. Running time: 90 minutes. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Miss Pell is Missing is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

The 11th Annual Midtown InterNational Theatre Festival presents as part of its annual Reading Series MISS PELL IS MISSING by Leonard Gershe, suggested by a story by Saki
Produced by Wildcat Theatricals
Directed by Daniel Haley

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 12:30 pm & Friday, July 30, 2010 - 3:30 pm
June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36 St., First Floor
Admission: FREE

With (in alphabetical order):Rebecca Burton*, Caroline de Fauw*, David Niles*, Michelle Pruiett*, Scott Breitbart*, Jay Russell*, Morgan Sills*, Nikki Switzer. (*member, Actors' Equity Association - AEA)

Running time: 90 minutes. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

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