'Serenading Louie' at the Kraine Theatre

The If Ensemble present their revival of Serenading Louie, the 1976 drama by Pulitzer-Prize winner Lanford Wilson (Burn This,Talley�s Folly) about two suburban couples who must face the unhappiness of their marriages and their lives when they�re forced to deal with issues of infidelity. Directed by Lisa Mitchell, the production opens on the 19 Jun 2005 at the Kraine Theatre, following previews from the 16 Jun. The show is scheduled to close on the 25 Jun 2005.

Serenading Louie paints a piercing portrait of two young, outwardly happily married couples each privately trying to deal with their own demons. Ex-football star Carl puts on a brave face and tries to ignore the fact that his wife Mary (a former homecoming queen) is having a long-term affair with a co-worker of his. Meanwhile, Carl�s best friend Alex has become disinterested in his chatty, insecure wife Gabrielle and has recently started a relationship with a 17-year-old college co-ed. In one evening, both couples face the truth about their marriages and their lives...an act that brings about unspeakable tragedy for one of them.

The play was first presented in New York in 1976 at Circle Repertory Company under the direction of Marshall Mason. In 1984, the Second Stage presented a revival of Serenading Louie with Dianne Wiest, Lindsay Crouse and Peter Weller.

The cast features Cadence Allen, Erin DePaula, John Samuel Jordan and Nate Rubin.

Serenading Louie has scenic design by Juliet Gabrielle, lighting by Lucie Novak, costumes by Felecia Maria and sound by Matt Belanger.

Biography:

Lanford Wilson began his career as a playwright in the early 1960's at the Caffe Cino in Greenwich Village with one-act plays such as 'Ludlow Fair', 'Home Free', and 'The Madness of Lady Bright'. He soon moved to off-Broadway with 'Balm in Gilead' in 1964 and 'The Rimers of Eldrich' in 1965. Wilson was a founding member of Circle Rep, which produced many of his plays including 'The Hot L Baltimore' (New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Outer Critics' Circle Award, and the Obie Award) and 'Fifth of July', which later had a successful production on Broadway. Wilson's 1979 play 'Talley's Folly' won the Pulitzer Prize for drama.