by PAULA VOGEL

JANUARY 20, 21, 27, 28, *29, FEBRUARY 2, 3, 4 & 10, 2012

COMEDY/DRAMA | As Ronald Reagan enters the White House, five aging practitioners of the oldest profession are faced with a diminishing clientele, increased competition for their niche market, and aching joints. With wit, compassion, and humor, they struggle to find and learn new tricks as they fight to stay in the Life.

photos by SUSAN J ROCHE | Click on thumbnail to see larger image

directed by CELIA FRANK
stage managed by BETH CAUDELL

with PAM LARSON as Vera  •  JUDY HULETT as Edna  •  LESLIE LYNE as Lillian  • JANE BULL as Ursula  •  PATTY ZIPPERER as Mae  •  LEONARD ALTERMAN as Saxophone Man

REVIEWS & ARTICLES

Steve Bailey, BEACHES LEADER: This group is the very definition of “ensemble.” Leslie Lyne, Patty Zipperer, Jane Bull, Judy Hulett, and Pam Larson click together as though they’ve been trading gossip over the neighborhood fence for years. It would be nice to single out a stand-out, but they’re all equally delightful. Leonard Alterman also offers lovely support as a jazz man who ushers the ladies to the “other side.” … READ FULL REVIEW

Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom, EU JACKSONVILLE: “The show delivers lots of laughs, especially in Act I. In Act II, we find out these are real people with real hearts and big problems that aren’t going to go away.” … READ FULL REVIEW

Maggie FitzRoy, SHORELINES: “We’ve had so many people who weren’t going to get to see it,” Frank said. “It’s incredibly popular, especially for a non-musical. I’ve never had a show sell out so early.” …READ FULL ARTICLE

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Three decades ago, Paula Vogel conceived a play about five “seasoned” hookers sitting on a bench near the Broadway and 72nd Street subway station. The result was THE OLDEST PROFESSION, a mix of a send-up of supply side economics before and after Ronald Reagan’s election and the power of food and music and friendship to help us through life. This play’s political implications are likely to feel up-to-date for people struggling with today’s tough job market, as Vogel’s Midtown Manhattan hookers are faced with younger, drug-addicted competitors.  READ MORE…