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THE SHEIK
September 8 - 22 at The Medicine Show Theater

Medicine Show Theatre Ensemble and Cressid Theater Company will present the New York premiere of THE SHEIK, written and directed by Deloss Brown. Inspired by Irish playwright Richard Steele's 1703 comedy The Tender Husband, this new farce begins previews September 8 with opening night slated for Tuesday, September 12. This play inaugurates Medicine Show's 37th season.

At the beginning of THE SHEIK, a wicked advertising executive has seduced his innocent young secretary and gotten her pregnant. The problem: he's already married. The excellent solution: he hires a gay employee to have a documented affair with his wife in anticipation of a quickie divorce. The gay employee decides to accomplish his task by impersonating an oil-rich sheik. But won't the wife see through his charade?

The production stars Jacqueline Herbach, Marc Palmieri, Lisa Peart, Jack Perry and Amber Voiles with set and lighting by Geoffrey Sherman.

Deloss Brown's first play, Heart of a Dog, was produced at The McCarter Theater before premiering at CSC Repertory in 1990. His other plays include The Landlord's Daughter, Reduced Voltage, Cleaning Solution and Jonathan Wild. He has directed productions for Riverside Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, Cressid Theater Company, and The Juilliard Drama Division (including Streamers starring Ving Rhames and Uncle Vanya starring Kevin Spacey). He has taught Shakespearean verse acting at Juilliard and both Medieval Theater and Shakespeare for Writers at NYU.

THE SHEIK runs September 8 - 22, Thursday - Saturday at 8pm with additional performances Sunday, Monday and Tuesday September 9, 10, 11 and Wednesday, September 19 at 8pm. Medicine Show Theatre is located at 549 West 52nd Street (between 10th and 11th Aves, accessible from the C & E trains at 50th Street.) Tickets are $18, available at 212-868-4444 or Smarttix.com.