TOSOS (Doric Wilson, Mark Finley and Barry Childs), in association with The Present Company, presents the New York premiere of AND SOPHIE COMES TOO -- Meryl Cohn's new play about three very different Jewish sisters and their sometimes-too-loving mom Sophie, in a contemporary comedy, with both heart and brains -- as part of the 13th Annual New York International Fringe Festival, with five performances only between August 15-29 at The Cherry Pit Theater (155 Bank Street). Mark Finley directs.
A comedy about becoming fully conscious, AND SOPHIE COMES TOO follows the three Abramowitz sisters and their mother Sophie, who may or may not wake from a coma before her daughters take control of their increasingly chaotic lives: Barbara, a single lesbian, doesn't want her wacky family's calamity to interfere with her sex life or the pending adoption of a baby girl from China. Rose, the straight suburban mom, has swept a few too many secrets under the rug. And Sandra is in the process of becoming a man!
AND SOPHIE COMES TOO co-stars Birgit Darby, Lue McWilliams (ELEPHANT GIRLS), Karen Stanion (THE CHISELERS), Jacqueline Sydney (THE KITCHEN TABLE, NYIT Award nomination), Susan Barnes Walker, Elizabeth Whitney (WONDER WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, Best Actress nomination 2009 ABSOLUT Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival), and Katherine Williams. The production features set design Michael Muccio. Production Stage Manager is Jennifer Marie Russo (AEA); Producer is Robin Kaufman.
Meryl Cohn won the 2009 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award for her comedy THE SIEGELS OF MONTAUK. She was a semifinalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2008 and 2006, respectively, for her plays REASONS TO LIVE and AND SOPHIE COMES TOO. The Cape Cod Times calls her work "simultaneously over-the-top and innately human." The Provincetown Banner says it's "non-stop funny... and infused with comedic brilliance." Her upcoming musical INSATIABLE HUNGER, set to star Lea DeLaria, will be produced by Counter Production at The Provincetown Theatre this fall. Ms. Cohn is author of the best-selling book, Do What I Say: Ms. Behavior's Guide to Gay and Lesbian Etiquette and is known nationally for her syndicated column Ms. Behavior which offers irreverent advice on love, sex and relationships.
Director Mark Finley has directed five plays by TOSOS co-founder Doric Wilson: AND HE MADE HER, A PERFECT RELATIONSHIP (2003 OOBR Award), STREET THEATRE, THE WEST SIDE GANG and NOW SHE DANCES! Other credits include Lanford Wilson's THE MADNESS OF LADY BRIGHT, Linda Eisenstein's EISENSTEIN'S MONSTER, Kevin Brofsky's DANCING STRAIGHT, and several plays by Chris Weikel, including SPEAKING PARTS; GARETH & LYNETTE; PIG TALE, which he recently helmed at the Sixth International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival; and PENNY PENNIWORTH, for Emerging Artist's Theatre, which will run Off-Broadway this October. He is a co-founder and the artistic director of TOSOS.
AND SOPHIE COMES TOO had its world premiere at The Provincetown Theatre Company in October 2005, and subsequently workshopped as part of TOSOS's acclaimed Robert Chesley/Jane Chambers Playwrights Project (directed by Kathleen Warnock).
TOSOS is in its eighth season and is dedicated to an honest and open exploration of the life-experience and cultural sensibility of the GLBT community. Initially founded in 1974 by playwright Doric Wilson (STREET THEATRE), performer Billy Blackwell and director Peter dell Valle, The company was resurrected in 2000 by Mr. Wilson and directors Mark Finley and Barry Childs. Since its return, The company has been received with rave reviews, numerous awards and wide support, including a grant from the Dramatists Guild Foundation. For more information about TOSOS, please visit www.tosos2.org.
The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC), now in its 13th year, is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues.
AND SOPHIE COMES TOO runs for 5 performances only, as part of the 13th Annual New York International Fringe Festival, at The Cherry Pit Theater (155 Bank Street): Saturday, August 15 at 4:30pm; Tuesday, August 18 at 12:15pm; Wednesday, August 19 at 7:00pm; Monday, August 24 at 5:30pm; Saturday, August 29 at 10:30pm. General admission tickets are $15; advance tickets available online, beginning July 24, at www.fringenyc.org, or by calling 866-468-7619.
