Old Academy Player proudly presents MORNING’S AT SEVEN, the award-winning play by Paul Osborn, directed by Loretta Lucy Miller, produced and staged managed by Janine Lieberman. Technical support is provided by Sarah Labov; costumes are designed by Jane Jennings. Show dates are June 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25, 2017 — Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 2 pm.
MORNING’S AT SEVEN is Paul Osborn’s love letter to just plain folks, specifically four sisters in a small Midwestern town in 1938. It is heart-warming, funny, and nostalgic. The four aging Gibbs sisters share everything in each other’s lives — drama, comedy, and tragedy, not to mention, sympathy, secrets, caring, anger, jealousy, and great love.
Cora Swanson and her sister, Ida Bolton, along with husbands Thor and Carl, have lived next door to each other for their entire married lives. Arry, the old-maid sister, lives with Cora and Thor. A fourth sister, Esther and her husband, David, live down the street. All four families are awaiting eagerly the arrival of Ida and Carl’s son, Homer, and his fiancée, Myrtle Brown.
Homer has been engaged to Myrtle for seven years and dated her for five years before that. Oddly enough, this will be the first time anyone in his family will have met her. It seems like a simple, happy situation, but trouble ensues as two of the sisters begin to question their lives and decide to make some changes before it’s too late.
The “seasoned” and stellar cast includes: Linda Palmarozza as Esther Crampton, Susan Blair as Aaronetta “Arry” Gibbs, Susan Triggiani as Cora Swanson, Kimberly Hess as Ida Bolton, Lawrence H. Geller as David Crampton, Rich Geller as Theodore Swanson, Mike Mogar as Carl Bolton, Robert Toczek as Homer Bolton, & Jennifer Sivers-Roberts as Myrtle Brown. You will leave the theater with a big smile and hope and joy in your heart!
Paul Osborn (1901 – 1988) was an American playwright and prolific screenwriter. He made his first mark on Broadway with his comedy play ‘The Vinegar Tree’, which ran for 233 performances at the Playhouse Theatre beginning in November 1930.
Many of Mr. Osborn’s plays, several of them dramatizations of novels, were produced on Broadway, and include: ”A Ledge” (1929), ”Oliver Oliver” (1934), ”Tomorrow’s Monday” (1936), ”On Borrowed Time” (1938), ”The Innocent Voyage” (1943), ”A Bell for Adano” (1944), and ”Point of No Return” (1951). Some of his plays were later adapted to film, including: ”Should Ladies Behave?” (1933), ”On Borrowed Time” (1939), and ”The World of Suzie Wong” (1960).
Osborn received the 1980 Tony Award for Best Revival for his play about four sisters, MORNING’S AT SEVEN, which originally opened on Broadway in 1939 before the Tony Award came into being.
He received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement in 1982. Some of his outstanding works are: ”The Young in Heart” (1938), ”Cry Havoc” (1943), ”Madame Curie” (1943), ”The Yearling” (1947), ”Portrait of Jennie” (1949), ”East of Eden” (1955), ”Sayonara” (1957), ”South Pacific” (1958) and ”Wild River” (1960).
A final note for theatrical trivia collectors: Even with the legendary Dorothy Gish in the original cast (as Aaronetta or Arry), MORNING’S AT SEVEN only lasted for 44 performances during its 1939 Broadway premiere. The 1980 revival met with more success, running for 564 performances. The sisters in that production were played by Nancy Marchand (Ida), Maureen O’Sullivan (Esther), Elizabeth Wilson (Aaronetta) and Teresa Wright (Cora). This darling, delightful story has been televised live on several occasions and has won multiple Tony and Drama Desks awards.
Old Academy Players, located at 3544 Indian Queen Lane in East Falls, has provided continuous community theater since 1923, and featured the acting debuts of both Grace Kelly and Robert Prosky. All tickets for plays are $15. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 pm; Sunday matinee performances are at 2 pm. Run time is 2 hours. Parking for all performances is free. For reservations, call 215-843-1109 or visit the theater’s website at www.oldacademyplayers.org for more information.
Theater/Organization http://www.oldacademyplayers.org/
Theater/Organization Website: https://oldacademyplayers.org/
Theater/Organization Address: 3544 Indian Queen Lane Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129 (Map It)
Theater/Organization Phone: (215) 843-1109
