| Actor, Jason Vail, opens up the life of the legendary actor, John Barrymore, in a unique, theatrical manner. Mr. John Barrymore, or Jack Barrymore or Jake Barrymore, is presented as a ghost haunting an unknown theater which, at the moment, is in rehearsal for a play. The gods have sentenced Barrymore to this purgatorial existence as penance for his abandonment of the theater and the squandering of his talents in the pursuit of fame, greed and dissipation. Barrymore disputes these assertions of the gods as he painfully and humorously examines the spectrum of his life. He chronicles his ascendancy to the throne as the finest classical actor of his generation; his arrival to the pinnacle of movie stardom; his intimate and compassionate relationships to his sister, Ethel, and his brother, Lionel; and the explosive debacles of his four marriages. The play has wit, terror, agony and hope, as we watch a mythological character explore the truths and deceptions of his extraordinary life. Mr. Vail appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. This show is rated PG and will be performed at Historic Matinecock Lodge in Oyster Bay. |
| "...Miller has put together a one-man play that manages to entertain and reveal a darker side of a bigger-than-life character." -- Seattle Times "...lyrically booding and tartlly humorous." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "There is perhaps no greater challenge than for a young actor to perform alone on stage for a full hour, recreating the life and character of a famous personality with all its strengths and weaknesses. Jason Vail succeeded in keeping his audience involved and engaged without a letdown, a credit to his versatility and acting skills." -- May 2002 Oyster Bay Enterprise-Pilot There will be a wine and cheese reception immediately following the Opening Night performance on Friday, May 3rd at Dillon Gallery, 15 East Main Street in the Village of Oyster Bay. All are welcome! |
| May 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 & 18* @ 8:00 pm May 5, 12 & 19 @ 2:00 pm * at Oyster Bay High School, 150 E. Main St. |
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| Directed by Greg Oliver Bodine |
| Historic Matinecock Lodge 14 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, NY 11771 click here for Directions, LIRR & Parking |
| Barrymore as Richard III |
| Barrymore as Hamlet on Broadway, circa 1922 |
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| "The Great Profile" |
| Our 2002 Inaugural Show |