Palm Beach Dramaworks’ 2024-25 Season


(Wednesday, September 25, 2024) West Palm Beach, Fla. – On November 1, just a few short weeks from now, Palm Beach Dramaworks will open its doors for its 25th Anniversary Season. When patrons step inside, they’ll be entering a brand new eye-catching and immersive lobby that is both efficient and welcoming, the perfect place to start the evening’s theatre experience. As always, PBD is offering a season of eclectic and invigorating plays – classic, contemporary, and a world premiere – the kind of thought-provoking material that audiences have come to expect.

Lost in Yonkers, featuring Laura Turnbull, photo by Curtis Brown

“It’s been a long and sometimes winding road to get to 25 years, and we are so grateful to have reached this milestone,” said Producing Artistic Director William Hayes and Managing Director Sue Ellen Beryl. “When we think back on how we started – no money, a vague idea about what we wanted PBD to be, and performing in an old theatre that would be torn down not too long after we left – it’s so joyous to reflect on how far we’ve come. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we were ably abetted by a wonderful board, staff, and donors, and encouraged every step of the way by subscribers and patrons.” In June, the Chamber of Commerce named PBD 2024 Nonprofit of the Year.

The Dresser featuring William Hayes and Colin McPhillamy, photo by Curtis Brown

2024-2025 SEASON

LOST IN YONKERS

By Neil Simon Directed by Julianne Boyd

November 1-17, 2024


When their widowed father heads south to try and earn a living, two teenage boys, Jay and Arty, are left in the care of their autocratic Grandma Kurnitz, whose four adult children have been damaged by her cruelty. Set during World War II, this funny and touching Pulitzer Prize-winning memory play is both an exploration of the wounds inflicted by family, and a testament to the power of familial love and resiliency.   

THE DRESSER

By Ronald Harwood Directed by J. Barry Lewis

December 20, 2024 - January 5, 2025


It’s 1942, bombs are dropping over England, and a renowned but fading actor is bringing Shakespeare to the provinces with a ragtag troupe. Sir, scheduled to give his 227th performance of King Lear, is in no condition to go on, but his devoted, self-sacrificing dresser, Norman, is determined to get him onstage. Sir and Norman’s co-dependent – if unequal – relationship is the heartbeat of this warts-and-all, tragicomic valentine to the transcendent magic of theatre.  

THE HUMANS

By Stephen Karam Directed by J. Barry Lewis

February 14 - March 2, 2025

There’s a sense of disquiet in the air when the loving, if dysfunctional, Blake clan gathers for Thanksgiving dinner in daughter Brigid’s dingy Chinatown apartment. “A family play that is sort of infected by my love of the thriller genre,” is how the playwright once described this Tony Award-winning comedy drama, in which the foibles, fears, and fragilities of an American family play out with great insight, humor, and compassion.

CAMPING WITH HENRY AND TOM

By Mark St. Germain Directed by William Hayes

April 11 - 27, 2025


Warren G. Harding, eager to get away from the press, prying eyes, and the presidency, accepts an invitation to join Henry Ford and Thomas Edison on their annual camping trip. Stranded in the woods, they converse about politics, ambition, family, and fame, revealing three starkly different personalities and world views. A work of fiction inspired by an actual 1921 excursion, the play deals with issues and ideas that remain as relevant today as they were 100 years ago.   

World Premiere DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS By Gina Montet 

Directed by Margaret Ledford

May 23 - June 8, 2025


Laura, a determined single mother, faces the ultimate test of love for her exceptionally bright son, Daniel. When Daniel's brilliance spirals into darkness, Laura finds herself thrust into a gripping battle against a broken system. In a race against time, she must confront a parent’s deepest fears and sacrifice everything to rescue her son from the brink of becoming America’s next tragic headline.   

Tickets for all performances are $92, except for opening night ($107) and previews ($72). Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm, and matinee performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Post-performance discussions follow Wednesday and Thursday matinees.  


All performances, prices, and dates subject to change. 





DRAMAWISE

A program that takes audiences deeper into each production, divided into two “acts” and an intermission (also known as lunch). Act I is an in-depth discussion of the play, while Act II features the cast and artistic team in conversation about the production and the creative process, and includes a talkback. Each program takes place on the Thursday prior to opening night. Act I runs from 10am – 11:30am, intermission (lunch) from 11:45am – 12:45pm, and Act II from 1pm – 2pm.

 

The Schedule:

Lost in Yonkers: October 31, 2024

The Dresser: December 19, 2024

The Humans: February 13, 2025

Camping with Henry and Tom: April 10, 2025

Dangerous Instruments: May 22, 2025

 

Dramawise Tickets:

Act I, Intermission (lunch included), and Act II: $75

Act I only:                                                          $35

Act II only:                                                         $25





OUTSTAGE@PBD

Special evenings of each production for the LGBTQ community that include a pre-show reception, the production, and a post-show reception. Each program takes place on a Friday evening, beginning at 7pm.

The Schedule:

Lost in Yonkers: November 8, 2024

The Dresser: December 27, 2024

The Humans: February 21, 2025

Camping with Henry and Tom: April 18, 2025

Dangerous Instruments: May 30, 2025


Tickets are $112 ($92 ticket/$20 reception)









Perlberg Festival of New Plays

January 17-19, 2025

 

This esteemed annual event features professional readings of five developing plays. Each reading is followed by a post-performance discussion in which patrons share their feedback with the playwrights. 

 

Schedule of Play Readings  (tentative, subject to change)

Friday, January 17, 3pm and 7pm

Saturday, January 18, 3pm and 7pm

Sunday, January 19, 3pm


Ticket Prices:

Subscription to all five plays: $100

Individual tickets: $30 per reading 

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the award-winning company produces five shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, and NNPN.

www.palmbeachdramaworks.org

 

The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) 514-4042, or visit tickets.palmbeachdramaworks.org

Click HERE for press materials.


MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Sardone-Shiner

Marketing Consultant

(561) 891-7278

jshiner@palmbeachdramaworks.org 

www.palmbeachdramaworks.org

Palm Beach Dramaworks - 201 Clematis Street West Palm Beach FL 33401 - 561.514.4042