NAPLES, FLA.: Gulfshore Playhouse has announced updated dates for its 2020-21 season, which will now start in November with safety measures. The Playhouse is working with healthcare professionals and following guidance by the Actors’ Equity Association, the CDC, OSHA, and the City of Naples for the re-opening.
The previously announced productions of The Syringa Tree and Around the World in 80 Days have been cancelled.
“There is no user’s guide or manual to determine the right course of action, however, we can control our efforts to minimize potential risk of sickness for our community, and have recreated a season focused on safety for all,” said Kristen Coury, founder and producing artistic director, in a statement. “In response to the global pandemic, we are also creating something new that reinforces social distancing yet provides professional entertainment that will uplift and inspire Naples audiences.”
The Playhouse will start with a yet to be titled world premiere (Nov. 7), by associate artistic director Jeffrey Binder. This new one-man production has been created expressly for Naples, prioritizing new safety standards. Binder will star and Coury will direct.
Next up will be The Pin-Up Girls (Jan. 8-31, 2021), by James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin. A group of friends find a stash of letters dating back 100 years and decide to put on a musical performance celebrating the men and women who defend our country.
Following will be John Cleese’s Bang Bang! (Feb. 11-March 14, 2021). Written by the Monty Python legend, this adaptation of Georges Feydeau’s comedy Monsieur Chasse follows a woman as she tries to get revenge on her husband.
The season will continue with Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (March 25-April 18, 2021), a comedy about mistaken identities, magic, and mayhem.
The season will conclude with Another Revolution (April 29-16, 2021), by Jacqueline Bircher, about two graduate students are forced to share a lab amid personal differences and a campus devolving into political chaos.
Gulfshore Playhouse Education will also debut two new productions in December, with more details announced at a later date.
“While we still have a long road ahead and will continue to need generous donations as ticket sales only make up half of our operational budget, we are confident that the decisive and quick action made by our management team has ensured our financial sustainability and impactful robust programming for the 2020-21 season,” said Coury in a statement. “We will continue to be a ray of light for those in need of joy and laughter—and look forward to gathering safely at the Norris Center in the fall.”
Founded in 2004, Gulfshore Playhouse presents new and classic works to expand the imagination, challenge the senses, provoke discussion, and revitalize an understanding of the common humanity.
