Ceal Phelan, Peter DeLaurier star in East Coast Premiere of Bernice/Butterfly

Two of the areas most popular professional actors, Ceal Phelan and Peter DeLaurier, will appear for the first time on stage at Hedgerow Theatre in the East Coast premiere of playwright-in-residence Nagle Jackson's Bernice/Butterfly: A Two-Part Invention, which runs April 7th for a three-week run.

The real-life married couple have acted and directed in regional theatres around the country, but are best known locally for their work at People's Light & Theatre, where they've been ensemble members since the early 1980s, as well as their frequent appearances at other theatres in Philadelphia. They also are two of the three co-founders of the Delaware Theatre Company.

Phelan, a three-time Barrymore Award nominee, says they are delighted to be working with Nagle Jackson, having heard of the internationally known playwright's work for years. They were drawn to this drama because of the well-written characters. She plays the title role in the first act, "Bernice at Bay," a waitress working the morning shift at a diner in a small Kansas town, whom Phelan describes as "a multi-faceted, not necessarily educated, thinker who feels deeply, someone with great strength of mind and stamina who has overcome obstacles in life."

Two-time Barrymore Award-winner DeLaurier plays Randall, the focus of the second act, "The Butterfly Effect." Randall is first seen giving a lecture on philosophy, and then begins to philosophize about his life. DeLaurier finds it "fascinating to watch this brilliant guy explore the nature of his own experience and wonder how he could have changed it."

Playwright Jackson is also directing, which DeLaurer feels is "great, because he knows precisely what's going on in these people's minds." Phelan adds, "Nagle is really open to actor's suggestions. A play is a marriage of what a playwright brought to the character and what the actor and director also bring. He's done all three in his career, so he understands the whole process."

Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday. There are also 2 p.m. matinees on April 10th, 17th and 20th. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $10 for students with valid ID and children under 18. Also available is a special Flex-Six package of six mix-and-match tickets to any show for $130 for adults or $110 for seniors. For reservations, call 610-565-4211, or visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org. Hedgerow Theatre, America's First Repertory Theatre, is located at 64 Rose Valley Road, in Rose Valley (near Media).

Need more Philadelphia Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...