Harriet Harris and Mark Consuelos
Marriage equality is unequivocally the civil rights issue of our time. And now it will be explored on stage through Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, premiering officially Off Broadway on Sunday, Nov. 12, but with previews beginning Monday, Nov. 7 at the Minetta Lane Theatre (18 Minetta Lane, New York City) and via satellite to more than 40 participating theaters worldwide.
Conceived by Brian Shnipper and directed by Stuart Ross, Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays features a rotating cast of the best actors from theater, film and TV. The premiere cast includes Theatre World Award winner Craig Bierko (The Music Man), Daytime Emmy nominee Mark Consuelos (“All My Children”), Emmy Award nominee Polly Draper (“thirtysomething”), Tony Award winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Tony Award winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone) and stage and screen veteran Richard Thomas (Race).
L-R: Paul Rudnick, Doug Wright, Moisés Kaufman
Luminaries from the theater world have come together to create an emotional, comedic and illuminating evening. The list of notable people involved reads like a who’s who of playwrights: Obie Award winner Mo Gaffney, Heideman Award winner Jordan Harrison, Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman, Emmy and WGA Award winner Joe Keenan, Tony Award nominee Neil LaBute, Sundance Jury Prize winner Wendy MacLeod, Obie Award winner José Rivera, Obie and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Paul Rudnick, and Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Doug Wright.
Evan Wolfson
Standing on Ceremony has partnered with an organization dear to our heart, Freedom to Marry, the nonprofit campaign to win marriage nationwide, for its Off Broadway premiere and will donate a portion of all ticket sales to Freedom to
Marry and other organizations promoting marriage equality. Its founder (and recently wed) Evan Wolfson will provide the introduction for the evening.
Tectonic Theatre is enabling the live streaming through the latest technology, and allowing audience members to also watch a live streaming post performance Q&A, and participate regardless of their locale, by submitting questions via Twitter in real time using the hashtag #asksoc.
Tickets for the Off Broadway run of Standing on Ceremony, priced from $59 to $79 (plus a $1.00 theatre facility fee), are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com and as well as at the Minetta Lane box office. For groups of 10 or more, call 1-800-BROADWAY, ext.2 or visit broadway.com/groups. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesday–Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 3 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Learn more at standingonceremony.net. Follow, discuss and promote at twitter.com/gaymarriageplay.
Participating theatres and universities for the Nov. 7 preview night include:
Hendrix College: Conway, Arkansas
Pacifica Springdrift Players: Pacifica, California
Theatre Out: Santa Ana, California
ACT: San Francisco, California
La Jolla Playhouse: La Jolla, California
LA Gay and Lesbian Center: Los Angeles, California
Cal State SLO: San Luis Obispo, California
Mad Cow Theatre: Orlando, Florida
Monmouth College: Monmouth, Illinois
McPherson College: McPherson, Kansas
Single Carrot Theatre: Baltimore, Maryland
Millburn Stone Theater: North East, Maryland
Vineyard Playhouse: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Wayne State University: Detroit, Michigan
Western Michigan University: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Michigan State University: Lansing, Michigan
Hennepin Theatre Trust: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stephens College: Columbia, Missouri
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis: St. Louis, Missouri
Montana Rep: Missoula, Montana
Guilford College: Greensboro, North Carolina
Paper Lantern Theatre: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Bismarck State College: Bismarck, North Dakota
Theatre B: Fargo, North Dakota
Mother Road Theatre Company: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Buffalo United Artists: Buffalo, New York
Pendragon Theatre: Canton, New York
Syracuse Stage: Syracuse, New York
Cuyahoga Community College: Cleveland, Ohio
The Majestic Theatre/Oregon State University: Corvalis, Oregon
Artists Repertory Theatre: Portland, Oregon
Brown University: Providence, Rhode Island
The Edge Theatre Company: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Roxy Regional Theatre: Clarksville, Tennessee
Actors Bridge: Nashville, Tennessee
Zach Theatre: Austin, Texas
Texas Tech: Lubbock, Texas
Plan B Theatre: Salt Lake City, Utah
Greenbrier Valley Theatre: Lewisburg, West Virginia
University of Wyoming/Spectrum: Laramie, Wyoming
Studio 180: Toronto, Canada
Sydney University Dramatic Society/ So What?: Sydney, Australia
Photos/Peter James Zielinski
