PEN PALS Additional Performance Added At The Theatre at St Clement's 

The producers of Pen Pals have announced a special added performance on Saturday, January 18 at 2 PM and 8PM with Nancy McKeon (“Facts of Life) and Gail Winar (NY:Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women)- together these two women starred in the pre-New York run at NJ Rep, a production that has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Productions in NJ in 2024 by NJ Arts. Pen Pals is written by Michael Griffo and directed by Suzanne Barabas and is currety playing at the Theatre st St. Clements. 

Each pair of performers will bring their unique chemistry to the roles of Bernie and Mags, two lifelong friends whose deep connection is formed entirely through letters exchanged over five decades.

Nancy McKeon An actress, director, and producer best known for playing Jo Polniaczek on the beloved long-running 1980s sitcom “The Facts of Life.” She starred in and produced the sitcom “Can't Hurry Love” and co-starred with Jean Smart in “Style & Substance.” From 2001 to 2004, McKeon portrayed Inspector Jinny Exstead on the Lifetime police drama “The Division”, where she also directed two episodes.McKeon starred in numerous made-for-TV movies during the 1980s and 1990s, including A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, in which she portrayed the title role of Tracey Thurman, and Firefighter, where she played Los Angeles County's first female firefighter. In Strange Voices, she portrayed a woman with schizophrenia. Other notable credits include “Love, Honor and Obey” and “The Last Mafia Marriage,” a miniseries with Eric Roberts. She produced many of these films through her company, Forest Hills Entertainment. In 1999, McKeon wrote and directed her own short film, A Wakening, which won two film festival awards.

GAIL WINAR Acting credits include original roles in Pen Pals (NJ Rep); Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women (59E59, Edinburgh Festival Fringe); Missa Solemnis (Shotgun Productions); Beyond Gravity (NJ Rep); and What I Heard About Iraq (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), as well as numerous tours throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe, As a director, producer, and/or creative consultant, Gail has collaborated on 50+ theater projects globally including Not Another Deaf Story at the Group Repertory Theatre in LA, TimeSlips at HERE Arts Center in NYC, and multiple award-winning productions at the internationally acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As an educator, Gail has taught for the Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway, Kean University, Marymount Manhattan College, NYU/Lee Strasberg Studio, American Globe Theatre, National Shakespeare Company, and Theatre for a New Audience, as well as serving as guest lecturer at Stockholm University in Sweden, Starfish Academy in West Africa, and the Jakarta International School in Indonesia - among others.

Rotating Cast Schedule:

• Jan 22 – Jan 26, 2025: Ellen McLaughlin (August Osage County) & Mary Beth Peil (“The Good Wife,” Anastasia)  

• Jan 29 – Feb 2, 2025: Kate Burton (Three Time Tony nominee, Present Laughter ) & Pauletta Washington (She's Gotta Have It) 

• Feb 5 – Feb 9, 2025: Johanna Day & Nancy McKeon 

Inspired by a true store, Pen Pals is a testament to the power of connection, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. With the new cast lineup, each performance promises to offer audiences a fresh and dynamic portrayal of these unforgettable characters. Pen Pals's unforgettable theatrical journey celebrates friendship, resilience, and the letters that bind them.

The production features scenic design by Jessica Parks, costume design by David C. Woolard, lighting design by Jill Nagle, sound design by Nick Simone, and stage management by Rose Riccardi. Lisa Dozier Shacket produces Pen Pals with Joe Trentacosta, Logan DeWitt, Anthony Hazzard, and Scott Stolzenberg in association with NJ Repertory Company, with general management by LDK Productions/ Michael Shannon.