Straight White Men, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, USA

Richard Kline (Ed), Nick Westrate (Drew)
Denver Milord (Matt), Bill Army (Jake)
Straight White Men

We had the pleasure of seeing the play on opening night, Saturday, May 28, 2022, and were delighted that Richard Kline, whom we had seen in the Westport Country Playhouse’s (WCP) performance of, And a Nightingale Sang in June 2015, along with Nick Westrate, whom we had seen in the WCP’s Don Juan By Moliere in November 2019, had returned to the WCP stage.

Denver Milord (Matt), Nick Westrate (Drew)
Bill Army (Jake), Richard Kline (Ed)
Straight White Men

Since 2003, when we attended our first WCP performance starring Richard Dreyfus and Jill Clayburgh in Arthur Miller’s play, All My Sons, we have been impressed with the quality and high caliber of the plays and the actors at the historic playhouse. Throughout the years, we have seen many plays directed by WCP’s Mark Lamos, and he never fails to deliver performances that are nothing short of genius. For Young Jean Lee’s play, Straight White Men, he once again works his magic with the script and elicits the very best from the talented cast with a script that pushes the envelope of experimental theatre that will leave the audience talking about it long after they leave the theatre.

Nick Westrate (Drew), Bill Army (Jake)
Straight White Men

Interesting to note, Young Jean Lee is the first Asian-American woman to have a play produced on Broadway (Straight White Men, produced in 2018). Highly regarded as an experimental playwright, pushing the envelope is what she does. The play begins with loud, pulsating music, and two Persons in Charge (played by Akiko Akita and Ashton Muñoz) roaming the audience and graciously handing out ear plugs to those who would like them, who set the stage both figuratively as well as literally that this play is going to be different.

Denver Milord (Matt), Nick Westrate (Drew)
Bill Army (Jake)
Straight White Men

The plot, "It’s Christmas Eve, and Ed has invited his three grown sons back home for pranks, Chinese takeout, and gossip. In between the male bonding rituals, dance moves, and deep thoughts about money, work, and ambition, we just might find out what makes these men tick… or maybe not?"

The multi-talented cast of Broadway veterans include Richard Kline (Broadway credits include Waitress, City of Angels, November) as Ed, the widowed patriarch of the family. He and his three sons Drew (played by Nick Westrate, Broadway credits include Bernhardt/Hamlet, Casa Valentina, A Moon for the Misbegotten), Jake (played by Bill Army, Broadway credits include The Band’s Visit, Act One, Relatively Speaking), and Matt (played by Denver Milord, Broadway credit includes Oklahoma!), who lives at home with Ed, have gathered to spend Christmas together.

Nick Westrate (Drew), Bill Army (Jake)
Denver Milord (Matt), Richard Kline (Ed)
Straight White Men

Young Jean Lee has nailed family and sibling dynamics and interactions that is part camaraderie, part rivalry, and is purely hilarious as the brothers revert to childhood taunts and roughhousing. However, the play is not just about fun and games, as the play progresses it becomes more introspective as well as each of the brothers struggle to make sense of the meaning of each other’s lives when they do not fit into their carefully and painstakingly orchestrated and curated professional and personal lives. It is a play that pushes the envelope, invites the audience to look at stereotypes, and a finale that will leave you talking about the play long after you leave the theatre.

Ashton Muñoz (Person in Charge), Denver Milord (Matt)
Akiko Akita (Person in Charge)
Straight White Men

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

Straight White Men Creative Team

Straight White Men Cast

Link for Westport Country Playhouse’s "Straight White Men" – The Official Trailer:https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/straightwhitemen/

About the Westport Country Playhouse

The Westport Country Playhouse named as "Theatre Company of the Year" in December 2013 by The Wall Street Journal, opened on June 29, 1931, in a transformed 1835 cow barn, which has, and continues to attract, a "who’s who" of prominent actors.

Looking at the framed posters of past shows that line the lobby walls was like entering an encyclopedia of the arts. A few of the renowned actors who have appeared on the stage there include Ethyl Barrymore, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Tallulah Bankhead, Gloria Swanson, Don Ameche, Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy, Jane Fonda, Danny Aiello, Blythe Danner, Jill Clayburgh, Richard Dreyfus, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Lynn Redgrave, Gene Wilder, and Westport residents Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

"Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a cultural nexus for patrons, artists and students and is a treasured resource for the State of Connecticut. There are no boundaries to the creative thinking for future seasons or the kinds of audiences and excitement for theater that Westport Country Playhouse can build."

"The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater of the highest caliber and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. Charity Navigator has recently awarded its top 4-star charity rating to the Playhouse in recognition of its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency."

For information on Straight White Men, upcoming performances, or to purchase tickets, please call the box office at +1-203-227-4177, email them at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org or visit the website at www.WestportPlayhouse.org.

Performance schedule for Straight White Men: Saturday, May 28 at 8:00pm, Sunday, May 29 at 3:00 pm, Tuesday, May 31 at 7:00 pm, Wednesday, June 1 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Thursday, June 2 at 8:00 pm, Friday, June 3 at 8:00 pm, Saturday, June 4 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Sunday, June 5 at 3:00 pm.

Know Before You Go

"All audience members must present proof of vaccination and wear a mask at all times while inside Westport Country Playhouse. Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the U.S., requires that actors perform only at theaters where audiences wear masks. For updates on Covid-19 health and safety protocols at the Playhouse, visit https://www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/covid19safety/"

Upcoming Performances 2022 Season

Westport Country Playhouse
25 Powers Court
Westport, Connecticut 06880
United States
Box Office: +1-203-227-4177
Toll-Free: +1-888-927-7529
Fax: +1-203-454-3239
Box Office: +1-203-227-4177
Website: www.WestportPlayhouse.org
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WestportCountryPlayhouse
Instagram:www.Intagram.com/wcplayhouse
Twitter: @wcplayhouse

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