Jerry Adler* and Harris Doran* star in “I’m Connecticut”
A brand new play from one of the writers of The Simpsons, I’m Connecticut is a wacky, fast-paced, sweet romantic comedy about Marc, a Connecticut native who struggles with relationships and feelings of inadequacy – why? Because he comes from Connecticut – land of steady habits, sanity and politeness. A must-see comedy for anybody from the Nutmeg State!
I’m Connecticut is Reiss’ first play and it set box-office records at Connecticut Repertory Theater in December 2011. The Hartford Courant called the romantic comedy “hysterically funny” and named it one of the top ten productions of the year. It was also named Best Play of 2012 by Broadway World Connecticut.
Generously sponsored by: Webster Bank and Comcast
Purchase tickets on line now, please follow this link. Tickets can also be purchased by calling our box office on 860.767.7318.
Cast and Design Team
Jerry Adler* (Grampa) was a veteran of over 50 Broadway productions as Producer, Director and Production Stage Manager, including the original My Fair Lady (the revival of which he directed), Coco, The Homecoming, Annie and many more, as well as the Tony Award-winning Good Evening which he directed with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook – before he began his new career as an actor. He then appeared in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and The Public Eye with Joe Pesci. He has since been seen on many television productions, including The West Wing, Law and Order, Northern Exposure, CSI: Miami and was a regular on Mad About You. He is an original cast member of The Sopranos and was “Hesh”, Tony’s mentor/advisor throughout that award-winning HBO Production’s run. His recent films include In Her Shoes opposite Shirley MacLaine and Cameron Diaz, Prime with Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, Find Me Guilty, directed by Sidney Lumet, Synecdoche playing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s father, and the soon-to-be-released Last Angry Man in Brooklyn with Robin Williams. On TV, he was the Fire Chief on Rescue Me with Denis Leary and is presently Howard Lyman on The Good Wife.
Benjamin M. Algar (Ensemble) Stay at Home Son, exhumed the mysteries of life considerably late in kidaulthood, prior to a spiritual rebirth. He once honed Hot Wheelz and baseball mitts better than any pre-pubescent Polymath, only to exchange such knacks for the comfort of paper and a pen(cil)—lest we allow the simple things to cheat us. Crippling rejections howled for months, until poor Benjamin fell from his nest, stripped of his expensive suede shoes. Defeated, feet and hand pads worn, the great Benjamin strove on. Through webs of chaos, and snack food buffets, Benjamin Andy-Dufresne[d] his way toward absolution. ‘Twas this cataclysmic self-determination that birthed a screenwriter.When asked by adoring fans, “How did you weather the storm?” Benjamin aptly replied, “A pretzel is a pretzel.”
Torie Chiappa (Ensemble) is thrilled to be back at her favorite Playhouse! She was last seen at the Ivoryton Playhouse as Bet in the production of Oliver! She is extremely excited this season to not only be on stage, but behind the scenes as a summer intern. Torie’s favorite roles consist of; Boris The Spy in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The March Hare in Alice in Wonderland, Polly Pepper in Charleston, and Alice Beane in Titanic, for which she was nominated as best supporting actress in the 2012 CHMTA. Aside from acting, Torie loves figure skating. She is an elite level competitor and skates on behalf of the Hungarian International Team.
Gino Costabile* (Kyle) is thrilled to be working with The Ivoryton Playhouse for the first time. A Connecticut native, Gino received his BFA from the University of Connecticut , and his MFA from the Actor’s Studio Drama School at Pace University in NYC. He could be seen recently playing the title role in MacBeth for Hubbard Hall in Cambridge NY . Some past productions include Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro), Dancing at Lughnasa (Michael), Dylan (Dylan Thomas) , Graveyard Shift (Wayne), Julius Caesar (Trebonius/Various), Richard III (Catesby/Various), Treasure Island (Billy Bones), Blind Gun (Fast Eddy Rex) and Stupid Kids (Jim Stark). He is also a screenwriter, and his newest script entitled Penumbra will be filming this summer in NYC.
Harris Doran* (Marc) is excited to reprise the role of Marc which he originated in the world premiere of I’m Connecticut at Connecticut Rep. He can be seen starring as “Spot” in the upcoming feature Junction for which he received the LIIFE Best Supporting Actor Award and “Jack” in Coach of the Year. Other film credits include Sebastien starring Eric Roberts, ‘79 Parts, The Sea Is All I Know starring Melissa Leo, Vivace, Together, Don’t Answer Ray. TV credits include Person of Interest, The Black Donnellys, Malcolm In The Middle, Any Day Now, Spike TV Mockumentary Exposing The Order Of The Serpentine. Theatre credits include starring on Broadway in the Actors Fund concert of Hair opposite Jennifer Hudson, he received a NYMF Best Actor Award for Love Jerry, received an LA Ovation Award Nomination for Oliver, starred opposite Joe Piscopo in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, It Must Be Him (with Peter Scolari), The Whore of Sheridan Square (NYIT Nomination), Amadeus, Cabaret, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Brighton Beach Memoirs and many more. Harris is a writer/director and is currently developing the musicals Bleeding Love and Salavge and will making his screenwriter/director debut this summer with The Story of Milo and Annie. Training: Juilliard, UCB. http://www.harrisdoran.com/
Dené Hill (Ensemble) is thrilled to be with working with Ivoryton Playhouse this summer. Dené was recently in regional productions of Hair and Hairspray. In 2012, she made her Eastern European Debut in a tribute concert to Muslim Magomeav, just after winning North America’s largest outdoor opera competition. Dené has performed roles with the Opera Company of Brooklyn, New York Lyric Opera, Vocal Productions NYC, Opera Manhattan Repertory Theatre and more. While her voice is her preferred instrument, she has modeled in print catalogs such as J.C. Penny, acted in a Vonage commercial and appeared on television shows such as the Fox new hit drama, The Following, CBS show, A Gifted Man, and more. Dené received a music scholarship and graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington. She also studied at Accademia dell’Arte, Arezzo, Italy.
Gwen Hollander* (Diane) Favorite credits include: Broadway/Tour of Little Women (Amy, Carbonell Award), National Tour of 101 Dalmatians, directed by Jerry Zaks (Perdita), Les Miserables (Eponine, Carbonell Award), Avenue Q (Kate Monster/Lucy T. Slut), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive), Legally Blonde (Margot), Urinetown (Hope), Great American Trailer Park Musical (Pickles), Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Carbonell Award nominee), Footloose (Rusty), the premiere of See Rock City and Other Destinations at Barrington Stage, and the recent workshop of the new musical Ever After, directed by Kathleen Marshall (Jaqueline). TV/Web: From Earth to the Moon (Tom Hanks, HBO), Nickelodeon’s The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo, and the webseries Acting School Academy. http://www.gwenhollander.com/
Rebecca Hoodwin* (Judith/Polly) is honored to return to Ivoryton having played the title role in Driving Miss Daisy. She began her professional career at 21 playing Harvey Korman’s ‘mom’ in Little Me, continuing this ‘motherly’ tradition playing Golde and Yente in numerous productions of Fiddle on the Roof, including National Tours with Theodore Bikel, Harvey Fierstein and Topol; A Wonderful Life (Millie Bailey) and Oklahoma (Aunt Eller) at Westchester Broadway Theatre; Roundtable’s The Heiress (Mrs. Almond); and “grandma” Off-Broadway in Emerging Artist Theatre’s Claymont. She departed somewhat from her ‘motherly’ image in an award-winning performance as Aldonza in Forestburgh’s Man of La Mancha; fading stripper Doily la Flame in Honky Tonk Angels, music Garth Brooks; Camelot with Richard Harris and a memorable day as Guenevere opposite Rock Hudson; Anna Christie (Marthy), director Mary Kate Burke; Night Mother (Thelma); and Vieux Carre (Mrs. Wire). On camera: Sister Jean-Charlotte (Nurse Jackie); ESPN with David Ortiz-John Buccigross’ Mother; As the World Turns (Homeless Woman). AEA, SAF-AFTRA. http://www.rebeccahoodwin.com/
Michael Hotkowski (Ensemble) is a Chester native and an alumni of the Vancouver Film School . Having just come off Art as Muse with the East Haddam Stage Company, he is excited to make his debut with the Ivoryton Playhouse. His past work has included Crimes of the Heart with the Meeting House Players, an unaired pilot and various short films and webisodes with the Vancouver Film School. He will be seen next in the East Haddam Stage Company’s summer production of Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band.
Rebecca R. Maddy (Ensemble) is a soon to be senior in the BFA Musical Theatre program at the University of Hartford . She has been featured in such performances as Big River, Miss Saigon and Time After Time, as well as Taming of the Shrew, and Pippin. Her film credits include promotion videos for Lake Compounce and Independent films entitled Creepy Crawley and Grandpa is a Weirdo.
Casey McKeon (Ensemble) is honored to be back at the Ivoryton Playhouse where he previously appeared as Charlie Bates in Oliver and as Rob the Camera Man in The Kitchen Witches. Some of the other roles he has played in the past include, Sandy Dean in Brigadoon, Aladdin in Aladdin, Frederick Barrett in Titanic, Troy Bolton in High School Musical 2, Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Mille, Curly in Oklahoma and Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man. Bitten by the acting bug at age 10 and now entering his senior year in High School, Casey plans on pursuing a degree in acting/musical theater where he hopes to makes a career out of being on the stage.
Bill Mootos* (Manager) is delighted to be making his Ivoryton Playhouse debut. Bill was recently seen in Moonlight and Magnolias at Playhouse on Park, Little Shop of Horrors with New Repertory Theatre, A Christmas Carol at the Hanover Theatre, and Central Square Theatre’s encore run of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Regional credits include Huntington Theatre Company, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, The Publick Theatre, Metropolitan Playhouse NYC, Manhattan Theatre Source, North Shore Music Theatre, Vineyard Playhouse, Gloucester Stage Company, The Lyric Stage Company, Merrimack Rep, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Foothills Theatre, Boston Theatre Works, Speakeasy Stage Company, Garage Theatre Group, The Barnstormers of NH, and many others. Bill’s film credits include The Company Men, Locked In, Hard Luck, Easy Listening and the ABC TV movie The Makeover. Bill serves on the national board of SAG-AFTRA, and is a proud member of Actors Equity Association.
Norman Rutty (Mark Twain) is delighted to be, once again, on the Playhouse stage in the company of so many talented people. Norm’s first appearance at Ivoryton was in the role of Scrooge in Scrooge the Musical, followed by roles in A Christmas Carol, Big River, The King & I, Touch of the Child and The Philadelphia Story. Norm’s other regional theater credits include the role of Sweeney in Sweeney Todd, Fagin in Oliver, and supporting roles in Baby, Violet, Man of La Mancha, Red Hot & Cole and the US premier of the musical Falls.
Elizabeth Talbot (Sexy Girl) is pleased to return to the Ivoryton Playhouse, after last being seen in the 2009 musical production of Jerry’s Girls. A few other favorite productions and credits include The Last Five Years (Cathy), Proof (Catherine), and Violet (Violet). Elizabeth holds an M.A. in Dramatic Literature and an M.F.A. in Performing Arts from The Savannah College of Art and Design.
Directed by: Jacqueline Hubbard
Stage Manager: T. Rick Jones*
Set Design: Dan Nischan
Lighting Design: Marcus Abbott
Costume Design: Kari Crowther
* member of Actors Equity
Purchase tickets on line now, please follow this link. Tickets can also be purchased by calling our box office on 860.767.7318.
Events
Playhouse Opening Night Reception:
Join us for an opening night reception following the Saturday, June 8 performance. Light refreshments will be served.
Other Events:
Essex Community Fund Fundraiser:
Friday, June 7th.
Event starts at 7 pm with a reception (wine, beer and light fare). Meet the cast after the show with dessert and coffee. Event benefits EFC and charities that we support.
Tickets for reception and show are $50 each and can be reserved by contacting Mark Bombaci at 860-767-1633 or markbombaci@me.com.
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 Join us at the Ivoryton Playhouse for an evening of sweet treats and a live performance of the hilarious new hit play “I’m Connecticut”— and help stamp out homelessness in Middlesex County at the same time!From one of the writers of The Simpsons, “I’m Connecticut” is a wacky, fast-paced, sweet romantic comedy about Marc, a Connecticut native who struggles with relationships and feelings of inadequacy – why? Because he comes from Connecticut – land of steady habits, sanity and politeness. A must-see comedy for anybody from the Nutmeg State! “I’m Connecticut” set box-office records at Connecticut Repertory Theater and was named Best Play of 2012 by Broadway World Connecticut.
Mark your calendar for this fun evening of tasty treats and a great show!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Ivoryton Playhouse
103 Main Street, Ivoryton, Connecticut
6:30 p.m. Dessert, wine and coffee; 7:30 p.m. Curtain ~ Cordials and chocolates at intermission
Ticket are $60 for general seating and $100 for priority seating
We expect to sell out the house! Purchase tickets now at http://anendinten.org/news.htm
For more info, call (860) 346-8695 or visit www.AnEndInTen.org.
Click here to view the Save the Date: I’m Connecticut Save the Date[1]
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Free 
Summer Tent Events:
Casual, pre-theatre events from 6:30pm during select Wednesdays throughout the summer. Themed around each production, there will be food, drinks, music, promotions and competitions at each event. All events are free for theatre ticket holders to enjoy! Can’t decide when to attend a production? Well, we just made it easy for you.
Wednesday, June 12 – Connecticut Grown featuring wine tasting by Chamard Vineyards and hors d’oeuvres by local restaurants.
Wednesday, June 19 – Connecticut Grown featuring nibbles and libations produced in the great state of Connecticut.
Tent events are sponsored by Guilford Savings Bank
Mike Reiss
Michael “Mike” L. Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic. He created and wrote the webtoon Queer Duck and has also worked on screenplays including: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Horton Hears a Who!, The Simpsons Movie and My Life in Ruins.
Reiss was born to a Jewish family in Bristol, Connecticut, United States. The middle child of five, his mother was a local journalist and his father was a doctor. He attended Memorial Boulevard Public School, Thomas Patterson School and Bristol Eastern High School and has stated that he felt like an “outsider” in these places.
Reiss studied at Harvard University. Reiss has stated that, as an institution, he hates Harvard, explaining that “I had an epiphany on my third day there: This place would be just as good as a summer camp where you met other people, networked, and learned from them. I feel the education I got there was distant and useless and uncaring. I feel they sort of squandered my youth and my father’s savings.” Reiss studied English, but disliked the course and was rejected from a creative writing class. Reiss focused his attention on comedy, performing in talent shows and writing. In Holworthy Hall at Harvard, Reiss met fellow freshman Al Jean; they befriended one another and collaborated their writing efforts for the humor publication Harvard Lampoon. Reiss became co-president of the Harvard Lampoon, alongside Jon Vitti. Jeff Martin, another writer for the Lampoon, said Reiss and Jean “definitely loomed large around the magazine. They were very funny guys and unusually polished comedy writers for that age. We were never surprised that they went on to success.” Jean has also stated that the duo spent most of their time at the Lampoon, adding that “it was practically my second dorm room.”
The humor magazine National Lampoon, hired Jean and Reiss after they graduated in 1981. In the 1980s, the duo began collaborating on various television projects. During this period Reiss and Jean worked as writers and producers on television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1984–1986), ALF, and It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.
In 1989, Reiss was hired along with Jean as the first members of the original writing staff of the Fox network animated series The Simpsons. He worked on the thirteen episodes of the show’s first season (1989). They became executive producers and show runners of The Simpsons at the start of the third season (1991). A show runner has the ultimate responsibility of all the processes that an episode goes through before completion, including the writing, the animation, the voice acting, and the music. The first episode Jean and Reiss produced was “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington” (aired September 19, 1991), and they felt a lot of pressure on them to make it good. They were so pressured that they did six to seven rewrites of the script to make it funnier. Jean said “one reason for doing all these rewrites is because I kept thinking ‘It’s not good enough. It’s not good enough.” Reiss added that “we were definitely scared. We had never run anything before, and they dumped us on this.” Jean and Reiss served as show runners until the end of the fourth season (1993). Since the show had already established itself in the first two seasons, they were able to give it more depth during their tenure. Jean believes this is one of the reasons that many fans regard season three and four as the best seasons of The Simpsons. Sam Simon has stated “The Simpsons wouldn’t have been The Simpsons without [Reiss].” Reiss has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the show.
They left after season four to create The Critic, an animated show about film critic Jay Sherman (voiced by Jon Lovitz); the show was executive produced by The Simpsons co-developer James L. Brooks. It was first broadcast on ABC in January 1994 and was well received by critics, but did not catch on with viewers and was put on hiatus after six weeks. It returned in June 1994 and completed airing its initial production run. For the second season of The Critic, Brooks cut a deal with the Fox network to have the series switch over.
Brooks wanted to have Sherman crossover on to The Simpsons, as a way to promote The Critic’s move to Fox. Sherman appeared in the episode “A Star is Burns”, which Reiss and Jean returned to produce. The Simpsons‘ creator Matt Groening was not fond of the crossover and complained publicly that it was just a thirty-minute advert for The Critic. Brooks said, “for years, Al and Mike were two guys who worked their hearts out on this show, staying up until 4 in the morning to get it right. The point is, Matt’s name has been on Mike’s and Al’s scripts and he has taken plenty of credit for a lot of their great work. In fact, he is the direct beneficiary of their work. The Critic is their shot and he should be giving them his support.” Reiss stated that he was a “little upset” by Groening’s actions and that “this taints everything at the last minute. […] This episode doesn’t say ‘Watch The Critic’ all over it.” Jean added “What bothers me about all of this, is that now people may get the impression that this Simpsons episode is less than good. It stands on its own even if ‘The Critic’ never existed.” On Fox, The Critic was again short-lived, broadcasting ten episodes before its cancellation. A total of 23 episodes were produced, and it returned briefly in 2000 with a series of ten internet broadcast webisodes. The series has since developed a cult following thanks to reruns on Comedy Central and its complete series release on DVD.
In 1994, Reiss and Jean signed a three-year deal with The Walt Disney Company to produce other TV shows for ABC. The duo created and executive produced Teen Angel, which was canceled in its first season in 1997. Reiss said “It was so compromised and overworked. I had 11 executives full-time telling me how to do my job.” This was the only project created under their contract which was broadcast.
The pair periodically returned to work on The Simpsons. In addition to “A Star is Burns”, they produced “‘Round Springfield” for season six; both episodes were written with the aid of their fellow writers from The Critic. While under contract at Disney they produced two episodes of season eight: “The Springfield Files” and “Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious”, and two of season nine: “Lisa’s Sax” and “Simpson Tide”. When Jean returned to The Simpsons permanently as showrunner from season thirteen, Reiss returned part-time as a consultant and producer, flying to Los Angeles one day a week to attend story meetings and contribute to the writing process. He also co-wrote the screenplay for The Simpsons Movie in 2007.
Press Release
May 8, 2013
A brand new comedy all about us!
I’m Connecticut at The Ivoryton Playhouse
Ivoryton: A brand new play from one of the writers of The Simpsons, I’m Connecticut – opening at the Ivoryton Playhouse on June 5th – is a wacky, fast-paced, sweet, romantic comedy about Marc, a Connecticut native who struggles with relationships and feelings of inadequacy – why? Because he comes from Connecticut – land of steady habits, sanity and politeness. A must-see comedy for anybody from the Nutmeg State!
First produced at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, part of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut, in 2011, I’m Connecticut became the biggest selling non-musical ever produced in CRT’s Main Stage Series. The Hartford Courant called the romantic comedy “hysterically funny” and named it one of the top ten productions of the year. It was also named Best Play of 2012 by Broadway World Connecticut and it won a Special Recognition award from the Connecticut Critics Circle.
Emmy Award winning writer Mike Reiss will be joining us for the performances on June 6th, 7th and 8th and will be participating in a talk back with the audience. Mike was born in Bristol, CT but his career now spans both coasts. Mike has been a writer and producer of The Simpsons from its beginning and is currently working on season 24. He received a Peabody Award in 2006 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus. He also co-wrote The Simpsons Movie, The Lorax, Horton Hears A Who! and Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs. He has published 17 children’s books, including seven Christmas tales.
The cast will include two actors from the original production – Harris Doran and Jerry Adler. Harris is a talented young actor who, just last year, won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Long Island International Film Expo for his work in the feature film, Junction.
Jerry Adler, a Connecticut resident, is a veteran of over 50 Broadway productions as Producer, Director and Production Stage Manager, including the original My Fair Lady (the revival of which he directed), Coco, The Homecoming, Annie and many more, as well as the Tony Award-winning Good Evening which he directed with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook – before he began his new career as an actor. He then appeared in Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery and The Public Eye with Joe Pesci. He has since been seen on many television productions, including The West Wing, Law and Order, Northern Exposure, CSI: Miami and was a regular on Mad About You. He is an original cast member of The Sopranos and was “Hesh”, Tony’s mentor/advisor throughout that award-winning HBO Production’s run.
His recent films include In Her Shoes opposite Shirley MacLaine and Cameron Diaz, Prime with Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, Find Me Guilty, directed by Sidney Lumet, Synecdoche playing Philip Seymour Hoffman’s father, and the soon-to-be-released Last Angry Man in Brooklyn with Robin Williams. On TV, he was the Fire Chief on Rescue Me with Denis Leary and is presently Howard Lyman on The Good Wife.
Directed by Jacqueline Hubbard, the cast includes Gwen Hollander*, Bill Mootos*, Rebecca Hoodwin*, Gino Costabile*, and Elizabeth Talbot. The set design is by Daniel Nischan, lighting design by Marcus Abbott, and costumes by Kari Crowley
I’M CONNECTICUT opens in Ivoryton on June 5th and runs through June 23rd. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton. Members of the press are welcome at any performance. Please call ahead for tickets.
Generously sponsored by: Webster Bank and Comcast
*member of Actors Equity
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Costume Designs by Kari Crowther
Beautiful hand made costumes for “I’m Connecticut” created by Kari Crowther
“I’m Connecticut” opens June 5th and runs until the 23rd
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I’m Connecticut at the Ivoryton Playhouse – June 5 – 23 By Jacqueline Hubbard, Executive / Artistic Director, Ivoryton Playhouse
Most people come to the Ivoryton Playhouse for the classic comedies and dramas and musicals that they know and love. But since I came here 23 years ago, it has always been part of my mission to be able to include a new work in our season. Every season, I pore over new scripts, hoping to find something that our audience will embrace, but up till now I have been unwilling to take the risk. Until I read I’m Connecticut, that is. As soon as I read Mike Reiss’s quirky, hilarious script I knew this was the perfect new play to produce in Ivoryton.
Our June production of I’m Connecticut will only be the second time this play has been produced. The first was at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, part of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut, in 2011. I’m Connecticut became the biggest selling non-musical ever produced in CRT’s Main Stage Series. It won a Special Recognition award from the Connecticut Critics Circle and was named one of the top 10 shows of 2011 by the Hartford Courant. I’m Connecticut is a wacky, fast-paced, sweet romantic comedy about Marc, a Connecticut native who struggles with relationships and feelings of inadequacy – why? Because he comes from Connecticut – the land of steady habits!
This play is perfect for us. It’s a subject near and dear to our hearts – living, loving and laughing in the great state of Connecticut.
Working with Emmy Award winning writer Mike Reiss is very exciting. Mike and I both share the quirky sense of humor that I’m Connecticut has – one that gently pokes fun at the essence of human nature. I’m Connecticut allows the audience to smile as we easily recognize ourselves in the characters that Mike has created.
I’m Connecticutis Mike’s first play but certainly not his first experience writing. Born in Bristol, CT, he has been a writer and producer for The Simpsons from its beginning and is currently working on season 24. He received a Peabody Award in 2006 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus. Other TV credits include It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, ALF, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He also co-wrote The Simpsons Movie, The Lorax, Horton Hears A Who! and Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs. He has published 17 children’s books, including seven Christmas tales. It is a great privilege for the Ivoryton Playhouse to support this exciting, new and extremely funny playwright.
We are also grateful to have two actors joining us who appeared in the original cast, Harris Doran and Jerry Adler. Harris is a talented young actor who, just last year, won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Long Island International Film Expo for his work in the feature film Junction (written and directed by Tony Glazer). He will also be appearing this April in an episode of Person of Interest that will air on CBS. Jerry Adler, a Connecticut resident, is a well known character actor who has appeared on The Sopranos, Rescue Me and, most recently, on The Good Wife. This will be his second visit to the Ivoryton Playhouse – some of you might remember when he directed Joan Fontaine here in the late 1950’s.
So come on down to the Playhouse in June – you won’t want to miss this one. Where else will you be able to see the Constitution State take center stage?
Looking for something to do? The Ivoryton Playhouse was voted Best Place to See Live Theatre by readers of the Shoreline Times.
Purchase tickets on line now, please follow this link. Tickets can also be purchased by calling our box office on 860.767.7318.