Act II Playhouse has revealed its latest production, Grace and Glorie, a heartwarming comedy/drama by Tom Ziegler. The production stars Penelope Reed, a favorite of audiences at Act II Playhouse.
Previews for Grace and Glorie begin Tuesday, Jan. 28, and the production opens Friday, Jan. 31. The production runs through Feb. 23.
Grace Stiles is a 90-year-old spitfire who has checked herself out of the hospital to return to her home nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Gloria Whitmore is her volunteer hospice worker and a recent transplant from New York City. On the surface, this mismatched pair has nothing in common. Soon, however, they will find new perspectives on all of life’s challenges in this odd-couple comedy/drama that is sure to inspire laughter, tears, and hope.
Reed returns to the Playhouse in the role of Grace Stiles. Reed is best known to Playhouse patrons as Eleanor Roosevelt in Eleanor (2022), and she has also appeared in Steel Magnolias, Boca, and Gaslight (all 2023).
Joining Reed in the production is Genevieve Perrier who returns to Act II after Any Given Monday (2010).
“We are thrilled to have these two powerhouse performers together in Grace and Glorie,” said Act II Artistic Director, Tony Braithwaite. “This production is perfect for the Playhouse: an intimate story of two people that is sure to come to life in our cozy space. This play is guaranteed to surprise and delight audiences and have them laughing and crying in equal measure.”
This is not the first time that Grace and Glorie has been produced at Act II; it was one of the very first shows performed at the Playhouse in 2001.
Behind the scenes, Resident Act II Stage Manager, Patricia G. Sabato makes her directorial debut. Matthew Owitz is the Production Stage Manager, Alex Elishevah Lewis is the Assistant Stage Manager, James Leitner the Lighting Designer, Janus Stefanowicz is the Costume Designer, Megan Rose Weider is the Assistant Stage Manager, Parris Bradley the Scenic Designer, Adam Danoff the Sound Designer, Jess and Christina Sabato are Prop Masters, Neill Hartley the Dialect Coach, Britt Plunkett the Technical Director and Scenic Builder, and Eliot Curtis the Scenic Artist and Second Assistant Stage Manager.
Ticket prices start at $32 and are available online, by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, or in-person at the Box Office (56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler). The Box Office is open Monday-Saturday, 2:00-6:00 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.
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