The Lakewood Playhouse is excited to announce that we have secured the rights to present The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess as the final show in our 85th Season.
The Niceties will replace the previously announced By The Way, Meet Vera Stark. We hope to present Lynn Nottage’s wonderful and thought-provoking play in a future season.
“As I looked at the current season and possibilities for subsequent seasons, I realized that the Lakewood Playhouse had not positioned itself to successfully present By The Way, Meet Vera Stark. In order to present this remarkable piece, work had to be done to build community, conversations and partnerships. In collaboration with Michelle Matlock, the show’s director, we explored many titles, and kept coming back to The Niceties because of conversations we hope it will inspire.”
Joseph C. Walsh – Managing Artistic Director
“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to begin this collaborative journey with the Lakewood Playhouse as I take on directing the upcoming production of The Niceties. This play’s profound exploration of important issues, rich history, and thought-provoking conversations is not only relevant but also serves as a catalyst for fostering meaningful dialogue around race within our community. I want to thank the leadership at Lakewood Playhouse for helping to make this pivot and I look forward to the shared creative process and the collective impact we can make through this powerful production.”
Michelle Matlock – Director – The Niceties
What begins as a polite clash in perspectives, explodes into an urgent debate about race, history and power.
The Niceties originally premiered at the Huntington Theatre, Boston, before transferring to the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City. The play is a compelling depiction of racial and generational divides as it asks who gets to tell the story of America, and how.
At an elite East Coast university, an ambitious young black student and her esteemed white professor meet to discuss a paper the college junior is writing about the American Revolution. They’re both liberal. They’re both women. They’re both brilliant. But very quickly, discussions of grammar and Google turn to race and reputation, and before they know it, they’re in dangerous territory neither of them had foreseen – and facing stunning implications that can’t be undone.
“Burgess generates a verbal whirlwind with a words-per-minute velocity that rivals Aaron Sorkin.” – The Boston Globe
“A barnburner of a play… One of the best plays I’ve seen about who gets to tell the story of America, and how.” – The Washington Post
The Niceties runs for ten performances only from
May 31st-June 16th. Each performance will be followed by a talkback about the play and its themes.
Get your tickets now to be a part of the conversation!
