Rep Stage Launches Season with “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins” by Stephen Temperley

Update: A glowing review from Broadway World said the following about the play: "It was exactly ten years ago I first saw Stephen Temperley's SOUVENIR at Baltimore Center Stage which starred Tony Award winner, Judy Kaye. I could not imagine seeing a better version of it ever. But, I was wrong. The Rep Stage version is just plain spectacular and the two actors who perform here, Grace Bauer and Alan Naylor are just plain marvelous."

Columbia, MD – Rep Stage, the professional regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), opens its 27th season with Stephen Temperley’s “Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins,” directed by Joseph W. Ritsch.

Florence Foster Jenkins, one of the world’s most famous society eccentrics, suffered under the delusion that she was a great coloratura soprano when she was, in fact, incapable of producing two consecutive notes in tune. Nevertheless, her annual recitals in the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, where she resided, brought her extraordinary fame. As news of her terrible singing spread, so did her celebrity. The climax of her career was a single concert at Carnegie Hall in 1944. Famously, it sold out in two hours. “Souvenir,” by turn hilarious and poignant, tells her story through the eyes of her accompanist, Cosme McMoon. A talented musician, he regards her at first as little more than an easy way to pay the rent, but, as he gets to know her, his initial contempt gives way to reluctant admiration, then friendship and affection.

“A beguiling comic jewel with a heart.” –Variety

“Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins” opens September 5, 2019, with a limited run through September 22 in the Studio Theatre of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center on the campus of HCC, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland. There will be post-show discussions on September 8, 13, and 20. Rep Stage will also hold a pre-show lecture prior to the 2 p.m. performance on September 21.

Tickets are $40 for general admission, $35 for seniors and the military, and $15 for students with a current ID. Thursdays are $15 performances. For tickets and additional information, visit www.repstage.org or call the box office at 443-518-1500.

The press performance is Friday, September 7 at 8 p.m. For press reservations, contact Zheyan Damavandi in the Rep Stage office at 443-518-1510 or email zdamavandi@howardcc.edu.

CAST
Grace Bauer*: Florence Foster Jenkins
Alan Naylor*: Cosme McMoon

ARTISTIC TEAM
Written by: Stephen Temperley
Directed by: Joseph W. Ritschv
Music Director: Rebecca Echols
Set Design: Mollie Singer
Lighting Design: Adam Mendelson
Sound Design: William D’Eugenio++
Costume Design: Julie Potter
Stage Manager: Emily Mellon*
Assistant Stage Manager: Aly Tu

* Members Actor’s Equity Association
** Equity Membership Candidate
++ Member of United Scenic Artists, IATSE
vMember of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

ABOUT REP STAGE
Rep Stage, the professional regional theatre in residence at Howard Community College, is celebrating its 27th season. Led by Producing Artistic Director Joseph W. Ritsch, Rep Stage produces engaging and evocative contemporary American classics and new works. Rep Stage is dedicated to collaborating with regional artists in its commitment to bringing richly diverse work to audiences. Recognized as a professional Washington, DC metropolitan area theatre company by Theatre Washington, Rep Stage has a proud history of Helen Hayes Award-winning productions and nominations. The theatre is a member of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and Theatre Communications Group. Performances are made possible by Howard Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Howard County and Maryland state governments, and generous individual donors.