Players Club of Swarthmore to Present SIDE MAN

The Players Club of Swarthmore presents Side Man, a Tony Award-winning play by Warren Leight, April 8 & 9 at 8 p.m., 10 at 2 p.m., 14 at 7:30 p.m., 15 & 16 at 8 p.m., 2016. Admission is $10 at the door (no advance sales).

Side Man is narrated by the son of a jazz trumpeter who recalls his father's artistry, the wit of his fellow musicians, and also his near-total neglect of his family. If the son is rueful, the trumpeter's wife (a role created by Edie Falco) is furious. Flashbacks to the happy time before the son's birth, and before the decline of the big bands, are a lyrical counterpoint to the events of the later years: the father's increasingly tenuous career and the mother's descent into alcoholism and madness.

Directed by Dennis Bloh of East Norriton, PA, the production features Aaron Roberge of Philadelphia, Lorraine Barrett of Wynnewood, T.J. Deluca of Havertown, Jim Fryer of Lansdowne, Charles Hoffman of Media, Heather Plank of Ambler, and Jeff Ragan of Conshohocken.

Special events surrounding this production: Opening Night Reception 5/8 at 7:30; Meet the Artists 4/10 after the performance; Dessert Night 5/15 at 7:30.

The Players Club is located at 614 Fairview Road in Swarthmore. Information at www.pcstheater.org or 610-328-4271. Side Man is presented in the Raymond W Smith performing space, which is not handicapped-accessible. The show is not recommended for children.

Photo by James Carroll