Sag Harbor, NY - April 25, 2018 - Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of FELLOW TRAVELERS, a new play by Jack Canfora, directed by Michael Wilson. The production will run as the first show in Bay Street Theater’s 2018 Mainstage Season, from May 29 – June 17, 2018. Single tickets are on sale now, and tickets are also still available as part of a Mainstage Subscription. To purchase tickets and subscriptions, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or purchase online at www.baystreet.org.
Set during Hollywood’s notorious blacklist period, FELLOW TRAVELERS explores the complicated relationship between three American icons: director Elia Kazan, writer Arthur Miller, and actress Marilyn Monroe. Look behind the glitter and glamour of the Silver Screen and Broadway to see how the politics of the McCarthy era affected their friendship, and how their friendship affected their work in this intimate and passionate world premiere.
FELLOW TRAVELERS is a new play written by Jack Canfora (POETIC LICENSE, JERICHO). This world premiere is directed by Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Michael Wilson (THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, THE BEST MAN, Bay Street Theater’s GREY GARDENS). Other members of the creative team include Jeff Cowie (Scenic Designer), David C. Woolard (Costume Designer), Ken Billington (Lighting Designer), Mark Bennett (Sound Designer), Rocco Disanti (Projection Designer), Meg Murphy (Hair & Makeup Designer), Andrew Diaz (Props Designer), Stephen Gabis (Dialect Coach), Robert Bennett (Production Stage Manager), and Denise Yaney (Assistant Stage Manager).
FELLOW TRAVELERS stars Wayne Allen Wilcox (GILMORE GIRLS, Film of RENT, THE NORMAL HEART, CHAPLIN) as Arthur Miller, Vince Nappo (THE LAST TYCOON, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET) as Elia Kazan, Rachel Spencer Hewitt (RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE, A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS) as Marilyn Monroe, Mark Blum (MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, AMY AND THE ORPHANS, THE BEST MAN) as Harry Cohn, and Jeffrey Bean (BELLS ARE RINGING, AMADEUS) as Roy Brewer/Kermit Bloomgarden.
“We are thrilled to welcome such an exceptional team of artists to Bay Street for the world premiere of Jack Canfora’s FELLOW TRAVELERS,” says Bay Street Theater’s Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, “This play is about giants of the stage and screen, larger than life personalities who made great art and a great impact on our American culture. It is a searing portrait of extraordinary people struggling with the politics of their time and their love for one another, and I can’t wait to see how this cast and creative team brings their story to vivid life.”
The 2018 Mainstage Season is made accessible for all through special ticket offers such as "$30 under 30", which offers $30 tickets to individuals under 30 years old (sponsored by The Corcoran Group), and "$20 under 20", which offers $20 tickets to individuals under 20 years old. Bay Street Theater also will host a “Pay What You Can” performance of FELLOW TRAVELERS on May 29 at 7 pm, sponsored by Sotheby’s International Realty. Previews of FELLOW TRAVELERS are from May 29 – June 1, which are sponsored by Peconic Landing.
Bay Street Theater will also offer “Talkback Tuesdays” with members of the FELLOW TRAVELERS cast on Tuesday, June 5, and Tuesday, June 12, immediately following the performances.
Jack Canfora’s plays have been produced to critical acclaim both Off-Broadway and in regional theaters throughout the United States. His Off-Broadway play POETIC LICENSE was hailed as “Smart, unsettling drama” by The New York Times and “Clever…articulate…white-hot” by The Associated Press. His play JERICHO received a highly lauded Off-Broadway run. It was a New York Times “Critics’ Pick,” with the paper calling it “painfully significant“ and “A lovely, humorous work… a smart, hard-hitting drama filled with biting wit.” Theatre Communications Group referred to the play as “an important contribution to the repertoire of the American Stage.” His play PLACE SETTING was nominated, along with plays by Edward Albee and Theresa Rebeck, as “Best Play for 2007” by The Newark Star Ledger. He also co-wrote and co-created the comedy web series “THE SMALL TIME,” which won the 2016 Webby Award for Best Writing. He lives in New York with his dog.
Michael Wilson returns to Bay Street Theater this season, where he also directed the musical GREY GARDENS starring Betty Buckley and Rachel York prior to its Los Angeles premiere at CTG’’s Ahmanson Theater in 2016. On Broadway, he directed Horton Foote’s THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL starring Cicely Tyson, who won the Best Actress Tony Award. Other Broadway work includes Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN (starring Candice Bergen, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury and Eric McCormack); DIVIDING THE ESTATE (starring Hallie Foote and Gerald McRaney); and ENCHANTED APRIL (starring Elizabeth Ashley, Jayne Atkinson and Molly Ringwald), for which he earned an Outer Critics Circle nomination. Off-Broadway, he directed Arthur Miller’s INCIDENT AT VICHY starring Richard Thomas; Lanford Wilson’s TALLEY’S FOLLY starring Danny Burstein and Sarah Paulson; and the epic three-part, nine-hour ORPHANS’ HOME CYCLE, for which he received Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Internationally, he directed Tony Kushner’s ANGELS IN AMERICA for the 1995 Venice Biennale. Wilson made his screen directorial debut with the 2014 Lifetime/Ostar television film adaptation of THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, nominated for two Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, and a DGA Award for Outstanding Direction of a Movie or Mini-Series for Television. Recipient of Bay Street Theater’s 2017 Artistic Visionary Award, Wilson was Artistic Director from 1998-2011 of Hartford Stage, where he commissioned Quiara Alegria Hudes’ Pulitzer Prize winning play, WATER BY THE SPOONFUL.
Wayne Allen Wilcox’s Broadway credits include CORAM BOY, PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, THE NORMAL HEART (Drama Desk Award), and CHAPLIN. Off Broadway credits include SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER (Roundabout Theatre Company); THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL (New World Stages); CARRIE AND THE PRIDE (MCC Theater); RICH BOYFRIEND (Lion Theater) and A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE (Lincoln Center). Regional Credits: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (The Old Globe & Chicago Shakespeare Theater), IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Bucks County Playhouse), THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (Goodman Theater), THE LAST FIVE YEARS (Philadelphia Theatre Company), and BRIGHT STAR (The Old Globe). Television/Film credits include ‘Marty’ on GILMORE GIRLS, LAW & ORDER, THE GOOD FIGHT, ELEMENTARY, ONLY CHILDREN, MANIA DAYS, UNDER, INTERVIEW and RENT.
Vince Nappo’s Broadway credits include the National Tour of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. Off-Broadway/NYC credits include THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, THE JEW OF MALTA (Theatre For A New Audience; RICHARD II (Matchbook Productions/Sonnet Rep.); KING LEAR, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS (New York Classical Theatre); HENRI GABLER (Exigent Theatre); OTHER BODIES (Flux Theatre Ensemble); PHALLACY (Red Shift Productions); FRIENDS AND RELATIONS (No Anita No Productions). International credits include THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Royal Shakespeare Company); SILENCE (Stephen Joseph In The Round); PULL MY STRINGS (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). Regional credits include Hartford Stage, Portland Center Stage, Denver Center Theatre Company, PlayMaker's Rep., Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park, New Jersey Rep., Chautauqua Theatre Company, North Carolina Shakespeare Festival. Film credits include FRIENDS WITH KIDS, SERENITY, SOUNDWAVE, DEVOUT, DEADBEAT, KILLING LINCOLN. Television credits include I'M DYING UP HERE (Showtime), THE LAST TYCOON, JACK RYAN (Amazon) REIGN (CW), NCIS (CBS), UNTITLED UNIVERSITY PROJECT (FOX), SHADES OF BLUE (NBC), UNFORGETTABLE (Bravo), CASTLE, RED WIDOW (ABC). Awards include Best Actor (L.A. Shorts Fest 2017). Training includes the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama (Graduate Acting Diploma) and National Theatre Conservatory (MFA).
Rachel Spencer Hewitt’s Broadway credits include KING CHARLES III. Off-Broadway credits include THE SEAGULL (The Culture Project). A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS (New York Theatre Workshop) and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (New York Theatre Workshop). Regional theater credits include ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, STRANGE INTERLUDE (Shakespeare Theatre Company), MASTER BUILDER (Yale Repertory Theatre), and FLY BY NIGHT (TheatreWorks Palo Alto). International theater credits include CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Vienna's English Theatre). Film credits include RETURN TO THE HIDING PLACE. Rachel is an MFA graduate of Yale School of Drama, where she received the Pierre-Andre Salim Award.
Mark Blum has starred in Broadway productions such as THE ASSEMBLED PARTIES, THE BEST MAN, TWELVE ANGRY MEN, A THOUSAND CLOWNS, THE GRADUATE, and LOST IN YONKERS. His Off-Broadway credits include AMY AND THE ORPHANS, RANCHO VIEIJO, THE MODEL APARTMENT, AFTER THE REVOLUTION, THE GOOD MOTHER, LONELY I’M NOT, WE LIVE HERE, PICKED, SINGING FOREST, THE LONG CHRISTMAS RIDE HOME, THE WAVERLY GALLERY, MIZLANSKI ZILINSKI, LITTLE FOOTSTEPS, GUS AND AL (OBIE AWARD), IT'S ONLY A PLAY, KEY EXCHANGE, TABLE SETTING, SAY GOODNIGHT, and GRACIE. Film credits include HOW HE FELL IN LOVE, BLUMENTHAL, SHATTERED GLASS, DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, CROCODILE DUNDEE, THE PRESIDIO, BLIND DATE, WORTH WINNING, and LOVESICK. On television, Blum has starred in MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, and more.
Jeffrey Bean spent 23 seasons as a company member at Houston’s Alley Theatre, performing in over 125 productions and working with both Michael Wilson and Scott Schwartz (Bay Street Theater’s Artistic Director) on numerous happy occasions and where he most recently created the role of Isaac Babel in the world premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s DESCRIBE THE NIGHT. Other highlights include: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (Francis), CYRANO DE BERGERAC (Cyrano), CLYBOURNE PARK (Russ/Dan), NOVEMBER (Charles Smith), THE OLD FRIENDS (Albert Price), ETHER DOME (Dr. Charles Jackson), VANYA AND SONYA AND MASHA AND SPIKE (Vanya), AMADEUS (Salieri), THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION (David Sarnoff), MAURITIUS (Philip), THE SCENE (Charlie), DOUBT (Father Flynn), SUBJECT TO FITS (Prince Myshkin), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (Benedick), JOURNEY’S END (2nd Lieutenant Trotter), THE PILLOWMAN (Michal), HAPGOOD (Ridley), TWELFTH NIGHT (Feste), THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Algernon), BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR (Billy Bishop), GROSS INDECENCY (Oscar Wilde), ARMS & THE MAN (Bluntschli), THE CRUCIBLE (Deputy Gov. Danforth), THE FOREIGNER (Charlie Baker), STONES IN HIS POCKETS (Charlie Conlon, et al) and for ten years, Ebenezer Scrooge in Michael Wilson’s wonderful adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Broadway credits include BELLS ARE RINGING (Francis) and AMADEUS (Kappelmeister Bonno). Television & Film credits include THE BLACKLIST, THE GOOD COP, LAW & ORDER, LAW & ORDER: SVU, ALL MY CHILDREN, and CLINGER. He is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts and a Princess Grace Award winner.
The 2018 Mainstage Season is sponsored in part by New York State through the generosity of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle; the New York State Council on The Arts, a State Agency; Town of Southampton; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Shubert Foundation; and fully or partially funded by the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning. Support for new work comes from The New Directions Fund and the Joseph Stein New Musical Fund.
For more information or to purchase single tickets or Mainstage Season Subscriptions, log on to www.baystreet.org or call the Box Office at 631-725-9500, which is currently open Tuesday–Saturday, 11 am–5 pm.
Bay Street Theater & Sag Harbor Center for the Arts is a year-round, not-for-profit professional theater and community cultural center which endeavors to innovate, educate, and entertain a diverse community through the practice of the performing arts. We serve as a social and cultural gathering place, an educational resource, and a home for a community of artists.