Eastbound Theatre, a division of the Milford Arts Council, presents the final show of its 20th season, the touching comedy To Gillian, on Her 37th Birthday, by Michael Brady, directed by Nancy A. Herman.
The production will run from June 6 through June 22 at the Milford Center for Arts. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $17 general admission, $15 for seniors and students. Purchase tickets at milfordarts.org or call 203-878-6647.
The show features John Bachelder of Woodbridge, Deanna Hartog of Westport, Marc Hartog of Westport, Leigh Katz of Westport, Kimberley Lowden of Stamford, Emily Pisarra of Milford, and Alisson Wood of Stratford.
David is a widower living with his daughter Rachel. Since the death of his wife Gillian on the day of her birthday two years ago, he has retired from teaching and instead he spends his time brooding at their island beach house, trying to connect with Gillian's spirit.
His love for her and his inability to cope with her loss blinds him to the increasing strain on his relationship with his daughter, and her need for his love and guidance. As Labor Day approaches, David's sister-in-law Esther and her husband Paul come to visit, bringing with them a blind date for David. Tensions rise as the family tries to finally deal with their grief and find a way to move on.
Michael Brady has produced several other highly acclaimed works, including Sara, which was produced by the Equity Library Theatre at Lincoln Center, and Korczak's Children, which won the first Jesu Award in 1982. To Gillian was not only made into a major motion picture in 1996, but awarded the Oppenheimer Award for best play of 1993.
As director Nancy A. Herman explains, “What I like best about this play is the multi-layered characters that Michael Brady has written. Virtually every role provides wonderful and fertile material for actors and a director to use to create textured and nuanced performances.”