Schools
Off-Broadway Show to Debut at Monmouth University Tonight
Molly Sweeney, an off-Broadway Irish show, will be previewed at Monmouth University's Lauren K. Woods theatre tonight, and will begin a two week run starting Friday, July 15.
For many who enjoy theatre, Monmouth University is one of the most optimal places around. Not only are many shows performed at the Pollack Theatre, but also operas are streamed live from New York’s Metropolitan Opera House as well as the London Theatre.
Now that the summer months are here though, events at the Pollack Theatre are slowing down. However, this does not mean that theatrical events are completely closed at the university, as the off-Broadway show Molly Sweeney will soon be performed at the school’s Lauren K. Woods Theatre.
Molly Sweeney is an off-Broadway show written by Brian Friel, who also wrote the plays Dancing at Lughnasa, Philadelphia, Translations and Here I Come! This is actually the first performance of this play in New Jersey, as it recently completed its stint at the Irish Repertory Company in New York. It is broken down into two separate acts.
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Katrina Ferguson, who is a veteran of performances at the Woods Theatre, plays the main character of Molly. Last year, she appeared in both The Sunshine Boys and The Au Pair Man. The play revolves around Mary, who lost her sight, and is contemplating getting surgery to fix her vision.
Her husband, Frank, will be played by Patrick Toon, who performed in the play Lovers at the Woods Theatre in 2004. Bradley Mott, who was also in The Sunshine Boys along with Ferguson, is playing the surgeon who performs the optical surgery and he recently starred in the Woods Theatre recent play of Scapino.
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John J. Burke, who oversees Monmouth University’s entire Theatre Arts program, directs this play. There is a preview performance tonight at 8 p.m. at the Woods Theatre, and the show begins full time on Friday, July 15. It will be performed every Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., with Sunday performances at 7 p.m.
For tonight’s preview, tickets for adults and seniors cost $15, and tickets for students cost $10. For the performances from July 15 through July 31, tickets for adults cost $30, senior tickets cost $22 and tickets for students cost $15.
The Lauren K. Woods theatre is located at the corner of Cedar and Norwood avenues. For more information on this show, please call 732-263-6889, or visit www.monmouth.edu/shadowlawnstage.
