Circle East Premieres a Tale of Winners & Losers -- If You Can Tell ’em Apart!
BARBARA BUSH NEVER SLEPT HERE
October 7 - 31 at The Bernie West Theater
Circle East, under the Artistic Direction of Michael Warren Powell, presents the World Premiere of Barbara Bush Never Slept Here, a new play by David DeWitt about winning, losing and surviving. The production, directed by Jim Bracchitta, begins performances October 7th at Baruch College’s Bernie West Theater. Barbara Bush Never Slept Here is the first in a season of new plays in the style that made Circle East’s predecessor, Circle Rep, famous. Opening night is scheduled for October 9th.
Barbara Bush Never Slept Here is set in a small Texas town in 2001 just after George W. Bush has been elected President. Patrick Kenilworth is a state representative and one of the many people who feels defeated. He seeks solace in both his ex-wife and a former colleague, Councilwoman Pansy Matthews. Soon a political scandal threatens to change all of their lives -- and maybe even the outcome of the 2004 election...
The production stars Susan Kellermann, Alice King, Steven Friedman, Rachelle Mendez and David Mason with sets by Mikiko Suzuki, lighting by Brian Aldous, costumes by Meredith Moseley, and sound by Bart Fasbender.
David DeWitt wrote Her Sonoma Story, recently staged at the Neighborhood Playhouse. For Circle East, he's contributed the short plays She Has Character and This Will Be the Death of Him. His work has also been staged by Primary Stages, Fourth Unity, Singularity, Sanctuary and the Manhattan Theatre Source Estrogenius Festival, among others. Regional stagings, including All for the New Man Band, in New Jersey, Arkansas and Texas. David has taught English at five colleges and draws his Texas knowledge from experience as a staffer at the San Antonio Light. He has a master’s in acting from the University of South Carolina.
Jim Bracchitta is the co-founder of the Cape Cod Theatre Project, where he spent six seasons as executive director, collaborating with Lanford Wilson, Paula Vogel and Jeff Daniels, among others. As an actor, Jim has appeared on Broadway (Gypsy, with Tyne Daly), off-Broadway (Over the River and Through the Woods, The Exonerated), national tours (the first Broadway tour of Broadway Bound, with Nathan Lane) and regional stages (Death of a Salesman in Toronto, with Judd Hirsch). He's appeared in Law and Order and Law and Order: Criminal Intent and in recurring roles on Due South and All My Children. He currently serves as SAG's liaison to the AFL-CIO Entertainment Alliance.
Barbara Bush Never Slept Here runs October 7 - 31, Thursday & Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. (Please note: There is no performance on Sunday, October 24 and there is an added performance, Sunday, October 31 at 7pm.) The Bernie West Theater is located at Baruch College, 17 Lexington Ave (between 22nd & 23 Streets -- accessible from the 6 train at 23rd St.). Tickets are $19 / $15 for students & seniors. For reservations call Smarttix at 212-868-4444 or online at smarttix.com.