Act II Playhouse will debut its latest production, the comedy The Outsider by Paul Slade Smith.
Previews begin Oct. 8 and the production opens Friday, Oct.11. The Outsider runs through Sunday, Nov. 3.
The Outsider is set in an unnamed U.S. state in the days leading up to an important gubernatorial election. Ned Newly might be the worst candidate to ever run for political office. With impressively bad poll numbers and an overwhelming fear of public speaking, the last thing he wants is to be in charge. But Ned’s deficiencies might make him the ideal political candidate when a team of professional pollsters gets involved. It all results in a hilarious farce that skewers American politics and lifts up democracy.
“When I first read The Outsider, I knew that it was the perfect show for the Playhouse,” said Act II Artistic Director Tony Braithwaite. “It is, of course, timely, but it is also incredibly funny, and manages to lampoon the American political system without taking any sides.”
“The play was never intended to be a comedy about political parties,” said playwright Paul Slade Smith, “It is looking at larger ideas. We have lost sight of what our government and democracy and society are all about. So, it was written to touch on the fundamentals wanted by most people.”
The cast of the Act II production is made up of some familiar faces including, Peter Bisgaier (returning to the Playhouse after Neil Simon’s The Prisoner of Second Avenue), Sabrina Profitt (Steel Magnolias, Tea For Three: Lady Bird, Pat, and Betty, etc.), and Hannah Parke (Zuzz the Alien and Rosie the Reindeer).
The other members of the cast including Liz Mattera, James Ofalt, Carl Smith, and John Zak are all making their Act II Playhouse debut.
Behind the scenes, The Outsider is directed by Andrew Chown who returns to the Playhouse after directing the 2002 production of The Drawer Boy. Jackie Robinson is the Production Stage Manager, Jessica Selvaggi is the Assistant Stage Manager, James Leitner is the Lighting Designer, Meghan Jones is the Scenic Designer, Robin Shane is the Costume Designer, Alex Dakaglou is the Sound Designer, Jen Burkhart is the Props Master, Britt Plunkett the Technical Director and Scenic Builder, and Eliot Curtis the Scenic Artist.
Ticket prices start at $32 and are available online at Act II Playhouse or by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, or in person at the Box Office at 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler. The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday from 2-6:00 PM. Student tickets are $15, and group discounts are available.
Act II Playhouse is committed to theatrical programming that is both accessible and entertaining. Act II is committed to creating and producing original, classic, and contemporary plays, musicals, and cabarets (both comedic and musical) that reflect the highest artistic standards, and presenting them in our intimate venue that draws audiences and performers into a unique, vibrant, and dynamic interaction. Since 2012, Braithwaite has served as Artistic Director.
Learn more about the latest happenings in the Montgomery County and Valley Forge areas at Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board. The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board is a private, non-profit membership sales and marketing organization that actively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by promoting patronage of its member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services.
