Coconut Grove Playhouse unveils 2005-2006 Season
by Carmen M. Rodriguez

Journey to Miami’s hot-spot Coconut Grove and you’re bound to whittle away a sun-speckled day with leisurely shopping and Mediterranean-style dining. Yet, dazzling wares and delightful treats are not all this destination-Mecca has to offer. Coconut Grove is also home to one of South Florida’s premiere regional theaters, aptly named the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

Located on the corner of Main Highway and Charles Avenue, CGP has been an anchor for Coconut Grove since this Spanish rococo-style movie palace opened its doors in 1926. Today, CGP offers both titillating and riveting theater like this season’s world premiere of Lionel Goldstein’s Ann & Debbie, starring Broadway veterans Elizabeth Ashley and Lucie Arnaz and Paul Alexander’s heart-wrenching Edge, starring the beautiful and talented Angelica Torn.



Secrets and Lies
Set in a Manhattan hotel room, Ann & Debbie is the story of two women and their unique 18-year friendship that is based on one unusual commonality – Ann’s husband. When Ann’s husband dies, the women uncover shocking secrets that shake their friendship to the core. “Lionel Goldstein’s Ann & Debbie,” said Producing Artistic Director Arnold Mittelman, “is an amusing glimpse at the compromises one makes in the game of love.” Tony-Award winner Elizabeth Ashley stars as the controlling wife Ann opposite Emmy Award-winner Lucie Arnaz as the carefree Debbie. Ann & Debbie plays in the CGP Maintstage Theater through April 10th.

On Edge
While CGP’s Mainstage offers grand-scale theater, CGP’s intimate 135 seat Encore Room, transports audiences into the heart and soul of small-scale productions. Such is the case with its current hit, Edge, starring New York People’s Choice Award-winner Angelica Torn as Sylvia Plath. “With Sylvia, I respond so deeply to her writing...” said Torn, daughter of legendary thespians Rip Torn and Geraldine Page, in a recent interview with The Miami Herald, “that I always ask her permission to be a vessel for her.”

A critical favorite, Edge has been hailed as theatrical dynamite. “Paul Alexander...[pens] a searing psychoanalytic study of the iconic poet,” said Variety. “Torn is funny, ironic, sardonic, tortured, bemused, yearning, powerful and vulnerable,” said The Miami Herald. Edge plays in the Encore Room through Mar. 27th.

On with the show
As CGP wraps up what has been, according to Miami New Times theater critic Ron Mangravite, a “remarkably, provocative season,” plans are already being made for their “All-Mainstage, Star-Studded, 50th Anniversary” 2005 –2006 season. Here’s a peek:

Tuesday with Morrie starring Hal Linden. By Mitch Albom.
Based on The New York Times Bestseller, Tuesdays with Morrie is Albom’s autobiographical story of a career-obsessed journalist, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch learns that his old professor is dying of an incurable disease. Mitch reunites with Morrie for a final class in the meaning of life. “Unforgettable!” New York Magazine. Sept. 23rd- Oct. 9th, Previews Sept. 20th-22th.

Passin’ it on - America’s Musical Pastime starring Len Cariou. Book by Larry Atlas. Music & Lyrics by Terry Cashman.
Is baseball as American as apple pie? Yes! In Passin’ It On a family-owned sports bar tries to survive the harsh realities of present day America. A heart-warming musical that teaches us that some values need to be cherished and preserved. Oct. 21st - Nov. 6th, Previews Oct. 18th – 20th.

The Good Body written by & starring Even Ensler.
Direct from Broadway comes The Vagina Monologue’s Eve Ensler with an entertaining look at women of all cultures. Whether undergoing Botox or living under burkhas, women of all cultures feel compelled to change the way they look. Ensler frames their stories with her own personal journey from a self-loathing teenager to a (sometimes) self-accepting adult. Nov. 11th – 27th, Previews Nov. 8th – 10th.

People Like Us - A Musical Romance. Music by Todd Almond. BooK & Lyrics by Todd Almond & Gus Kaikkonen.
One man, one woman, successful in different worlds... How do intimacy, love and need fit into two busy, modern urban lives? A humorous, musical-love story of two well-established people that learn the only thing more important in life than being “set,” is being loved. Dec. 9th – 24th, Previews Dec. 6th – 8th.

I am My Own Wife. 2004 Winner of Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize. By Doug Wright.
The award-winning true tale Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a German transvestite that survived the Nazi regime to emerge a survivor of some of the darkest, most repressive times in modern history. “A story that is both moving and intellectually absorbing...a true tour de force” - The New York Times. Jan. 13th – 29th, Previews Jan. 10th –12th.

Southern Conforts starring Dixie Carter & hal Holbrook. By Kathleen Clark.
Amanda Cross is a free-spirited woman. Gus Klingman is a conservative loner. After a devastating loss, these two widowers form an unlikely bond that challenges their differing views on life, love and the ability to change. Feb. 10th – Mar. 5th, Previews Feb. 7th – 8th.

About Time starring Theodore Bikel. By Tom Cole.
Faced with the reality of aging, a long-time married couple spends a humorous and sentimental day talking about everything under the sun. About Time is a true celebration of love. Mar. 17th – Apr. 9th, Previews Mar. 14th – 16th.

Sonia Flew. By award-winning Playwright Melinda Lopez.
For the love of your child, could you let go? In 1961, a Cuban family sends their only daughter to the United States. Set between two times, two families and two countries, Sonia Flew is the powerful tale of one Cuban-American woman’s struggle to come to terms with her past, her parents’ decisions, her children’s choices and her duty to her adopted country. Apr. 21th – May 7th, Previews Apr. 18th – 20th.

Coconut Grove Playhouse
3500 Main Highway
Miami, FL 33133
305 442 4000