BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Premiere Stages\, the professional theatre in residence at Ke an University presents Kathryn Grant&rsquo\;s Handicapped People in Thei r Formal Attire from July 12 - 29\, 2012. \; This provocative new pl ay takes place in 1968 at a black tie fundraiser for people with disabil ities. \; The honoree is Agnes Sheenan\, a quadriplegic\, who is esc orted by her able-bodied sister\, Theresa. \; The siblings make the most of the celebration until unforeseen events force them to examine ho w fragile the bond is between them.\n&ldquo\;The title dates the play to a specific time &ndash\; the 1960&rsquo\;s\, when the term &lsquo\;hand icapped people&rsquo\; was politically correct\,&rdquo\; said John Woote n\, Premiere Stages&rsquo\; producing artistic director.  \;&ldquo\; But the theme of the play is timeless\, a testament to those who refuse to yield to labels or limitations. \; The playwright has infused a g reat deal of humor into this moving story about the true meaning of sacr ifice.&rdquo\;\nThe cast of Handicapped People in Their Formal Attire fe atures Rachel Pickup as Agnes and Lori Hammel as Theresa. \; Pickup is a British theatre\, film and television actress\, who performed off-B roadway last season in Dancing at Lughnasa at Irish Repertory Theatre.&n bsp\; Hammel has appeared on television&rsquo\;s 30 Rock\, As the World Turns and the Today Show and in the Coen brother&rsquo\;s feature film B urn After Reading.\nA diverse group of actors (those with disabilities a nd those without) comprise the rest of the company\, including David Har rell\, Ed Setrakian\, John McGinty and Roland Sands. \; Harrell\, an actor who uses a prosthetic device was nominated for a New York Innovat ive Theatre Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for his play: &ldquo\ ;A Little Potato and Hard to Peel.&rdquo\;\nEd Setrakian appeared on Bro adway in Salome (with Al Pacino)\, Almost an Eagle\, Days in the Trees a nd Saint Joan. \; John McGinty\, an actor who is deaf performed in R obin Hood with Cleveland Sign Stage Theatre and Pippin with Mark Taper F orum / Deaf West. \; A recent graduate from Northeastern University\ , he&rsquo\;s performed with National Theatre of the Deaf\, in film and on television. \; Roland Sands is a veteran actor seen on Broadway\, off-Broadway\, regionally\, on television and in films that include &ld quo\;Ghost\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;Cotton Club&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;Do the Righ t Thing.&rdquo\;\nWooten directs Handicapped People in Their Formal Atti re\, the winner of Premiere Stages 2012 Play Festival\, a regional compe tition for new scripts. \; In 2010\, Premiere produced the first pro fessional production of Grant&rsquo\;s The Good Counselor after the scri pt won the Festival. \; The play was subsequently awarded the \; runner up for the \;Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association B est New Play Award and is being distributed by Samuel French\, a nationa l publisher of plays and musicals.\nPlays cited by the American Theatre Critics Association for the 2012 prestigious Francesa Primus Prize were both first produced by Premiere Stages: Tammy Ryan&rsquo\;s Lost Boy Fou nd in Whole Foods (2012 Primus Winner) and Dominique Morisseau&rsquo\;s Follow Me to Nellie&rsquo\;s (2012 Primus Runner-up). \; They are re presentative of a long list of playwrights Wooten has developed at Premi ere who have gone on to be subsequently produced and published. \; T he success of the Premiere Stages Play Festival has led to new funding i n 2012 from The Shubert Foundation\, The New Jersey Historical Commissio n\, The National Science Foundation and The Provident Bank Foundation.\n Handicapped People in Their Formal Attire runs Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.\, Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. \; Tic kets are $30 standard\, $20 senior citizen and $15 student. \; Signi ficant discounts for groups of 10 or more apply. \; All performances take place on the Kean University campus\, located at 1000 Morris Avenu e\, Union in the Zella Fry Theatre of the Vaughn Eames Fine Arts Buildin g. \; To make reservations call Kean Box Office at 908.737.SHOW (746 9) or visit www.kean.edu/premierestages.\nPremiere Stages offers air-con ditioned facilities and free parking close to the fully accessible space s. \; Free or discounted tickets to patrons with disabilities are av ailable. Please call for a list of sign-interpreted\, audio-described or open-captioned performances. \; Assistive listening devices and lar ge print programs are available upon request. Publications in alternate forms are available with advanced notice.\nPremiere Stages is made possi ble in part through funding from The New Jersey State Council on the Art s\, The Shubert Foundation\, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation\, The Pro vident Bank Foundation\, The Northfield Bank Foundation\, The Westfield Foundation\, The New Jersey Theatre Alliance\, The New Jersey Historical Commission\, The National Science Foundation and through the generous s upport of individual patrons.  \;For further information\, call Prem iere Stages at 908-737-4092. \;\nPHOTO: \; Playwright Kathryn Gr ant\nCREDIT: \; Mary Zasse\n \; URL:http://westfield.patch.com/events/premiere-stages-presents-handicappe d-people-kean-university SUMMARY:Premiere Stages Presents “Handicapped People” - Kean Universi ty LOCATION:1000 Morris Ave\, Union\, NJ 07083: 1000 Morris Ave\, Union\, NJ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR