Founded by writer Susan Charlotte in the fall of 2000, Off-Broadway’s award-winning Food For Thought Productions (FFTP), now in its 21st year, was the first theater company back in live action in NYC last July, and persisted in presenting monthly performances through the remainder of 2020. To date, FFTP has presented over a thousand shows with Oscar, Tony, and Emmy award-winning writers, actors, and directors, including such luminaries as Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Elaine May, Elaine Stritch, Danny Aiello, Kathleen Turner, Tony Roberts, Peter Bogdonovich, Judd Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, Eric Stoltz, Kyra Sedgwick, Rosie Perez, Judith Light, Christine Baranski, Rita Moreno, and more.
On Monday, March 8, FFTP returns to the stage and digital screen with two comedies and the new theme “We Persist!” to open its 2021 season, while continuing its mission of celebrating the frequently neglected one-act play, and doing it with humor in the form of parody, satire, and comedy-filled drama.
The season opener features a double bill directed by Antony Marsellis, focused on the legendary American playwright Tennessee Williams: For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls, Christopher Durang’s hilarious parody of Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, starring Blanche Baker, Nathan Darrow, and Jeremy Beck; and Williams’ own Lifeboat Drill, a funny piece about an older couple on a boat, starring Bob Dishy and Judy Graubart. The plays will be followed by a Q&A with the casts and special guests Durang (who has been part of the FFTP company for years) and 90-year-old film, stage, and TV actress Carroll Baker (Baby Doll), sharing her thoughts about Williams. Durang noted, “I’ll take anything Susan Charlotte dishes out. Because she always serves up great theater, big stars, and fantastic food.”
The show will be performed live at Theatre 80, 80 St. Marks Place, NYC, at 2 pm, on March 8, to a limited in-person audience that will be part of a documentary being filmed on FFTP. Tickets are free to first-come patrons who have agreed to be part of the documentary. All social distancing precautions will be respected, with a medical professional on site to check temperatures. Audience members must wear masks and have recently tested negative for Covid-19. The live performance will also be available via Zoom, with a nominal charge for streaming. For additional information and tickets, call (646) 366-9340 or email [email protected].
