The Outsider at Paper Mill Playhouse; Photo by Jerry Dalia; from left to right: Lenny Wolpe (Ned Newley), Kelley Curran (Rachel Parsons) and Erin Noel Grennan (Louise Peakes).
The Paper Mill Playhouse begins the East Coast premiere run of a new play titled The Outsider this week. Written by Paul Slade Smith with direction by David Esbjornson, The Outsider runs at the Millburn theater through Sunday, February 18, 2018. Press notes describe the show as follows:
“In politics, the less you know, the higher you’ll go! At once a razor-sharp satire and an inspirational tribute to democracy, The Outsider is a timely and hilarious send-up of modern American politics. In the midst of a political scandal, Ned Newley, the ultimate policy wonk, is unexpectedly thrust into the position of Governor. A complete unknown, with no political instincts and a paralyzing fear of public speaking, Ned seems destined to fail. But his political consultants see things a little differently: Ned might be the worst candidate to ever run for office. Unless the public is looking for… the worst candidate to ever run for office!”
The cast features Kelley Curran as Rachel Parsons, Julia Duffy as Paige Caldwell, Manoel Felciano as Dave Riley, Erin Noel Grennan as Louise Peakes, Mike Houston as A.C. Petersen, Burke Moses as Arthur Vance, and Lenny Wolpe as Ned Newley.
The Outsider will be performed eight times a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The performance schedule is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 1:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Tickets and additional information are available at Paper Mill Playhouse Box Office at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn, or online at www.PaperMill.org.
In addition to this performance schedule, the Paper Mill Playhouse provides the following:
Audio-described performances on Saturday, February 17, 2018, at 1:30pm and Sunday, February 18, 2018, at 1:30pm. Prior to these performances at noon, the theater will offer free sensory seminars. Sensory seminars offer an opportunity for patrons with vision loss to hear a live, in-depth description of the production elements of the show and hands-on interaction with key sets, props, and costumes.
There will be a sign-interpreted and open-captioned performance on Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 7:00pm.
Free Audience Enrichment Activities
The Conversation Club takes place on Thursday evenings, January 25, February 1, 8 and 15, one hour before curtain for an informal, informative gathering. You’ll learn more about the performance you’re about to see.
The Director’s Viewpoint: One hour before curtain at 6:00pm on Wednesday, January 24, a pre-show discussion is held in the Renee Foosaner Art Gallery.
Q&A with the Cast: After the matinee on Saturday, February 17, stick around for a lively Q&A with cast members directly following the performance.
Enjoy this preview of the show: