The Gallery Players Opens Its 49th Season In September

Longevity in theater companies is always something to celebrate. But 49 seasons? It’s a remarkable accomplishment.

The Gallery Players (199 14th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues) will begin its 49th season in September. Performances take place Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm, plus 2pm Saturday matinees the last two weekends of each show’s run, and Sundays at 3pm.

The company will offer a wide range of styles and genres, including musicals and hard-hitting dramas. Here’s the lineup:

Godspell
September 12-October 4
A musical re-telling of the Gospel of St. Matthew. The play relies on ensemble acting and has a series of rousing songs. You’re probably familiar with the song “Day by Day,” which became a Billboard hit in 1972.

The Piano Lesson
October 24-November 8
Set in 1936, this 1990 Pulitzer Prize winning play by August Wilson follows a Pittsburgh family through their complications surrounding the family heirloom.

It Runs In The Family
December 5-20
A romp of a farce — the doors opening and slamming shut type — that tells the story of the Dr. Mortimore’s desperate attempt to deliver a lecture, with many an obstacle along the way.

Seussical
January 30-February 21, 2016
A re-telling of Dr. Seuss’ beloved Horton Hears a Who!, Horton Hatches the Egg, and Miss Gertrude McFuzz. The kids will be delighted, and so will you.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
March 12-27, 2016
The beloved 1962 novel by Ken Kesey was subsequently adapted into both the play and a film (you will most likely recall Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of McMurphy in the 1975 film version). Set in a mental ward, the play asks the question: are the lunatics running the asylum?

In The Heights
April 23-May 15, 2016
Set in Washington Heights, the musical spans a period of three days of a hot summer in a largely Dominican-American neighborhood. The music and lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda, with book by Quiara Alegría Hudes.

The 19th Annual Black Box New Play Festival
June 2- 26, 2016
Each year, previously un-produced one-act — and in exceptional cases, full length — plays are selected, each playwright is paired with a professional director and actors, and the workshopping process begins.

For more info on these shows and for tickets, see The Gallery Players website.