Monday, August 31 at 7pm – One Night Only
TheaterWorks Hartford, under the leadership of Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, announces details for a one-night only benefit reading of Jeffrey Lieber’s new play The Lady, Or The Tiger on Monday, August 31 at 7:00pm. The event will take place at TheaterWorks Hartford’s 233 Pearl St. location. All proceeds will benefit TheaterWorks Hartford’s commitment to developing new work.
Set in an America that resembles the one we’re trending towards, two men find themselves hiding out in the abandoned restaurant of what was once a high-end Californian resort. Into their world comes a woman who might be an ally, or might be their undoing. A story about survival, love in the shadow of chaos, cooking with garlic (lots of garlic) and a meditation on the fragility of hope in an increasingly unsettling world.
The benefit reading closes TheaterWorks Hartford’s remarkable 40th anniversary season. It will feature Rob Morrow (TV’s Northern Exposure and Numb3rs, Quiz Show) and Tim DeKay (The Counter and Fever Dreams at TheaterWorks Hartford, TV’s White Collar). Additional casting to be announced at a later date.
Tickets are $85 and include admission to the reading and a pre-show cocktail event at 6pm. A limited number of $125 tickets are available and include access to an exclusive post-show reception with the artists. There are also a limited number of value tickets available. All tickets can be purchased online at twhartford.org or by calling the box office at 860.527.7838.
About the Playwright:
Jeffrey Lieber (Playwright) started his artistic journey as an actor and playwright who became a screenwriter and then a television showrunner. He’s the co-creator of LOST on ABC and Miami Medical on CBS, Don’t Look Deeper on Quibi and Impulse on YouTube Red, along with an endlessly eclectic list of credits over the course of 25 years in the entertainment business. His play Fever Dreams of Animals on The Verge of Extinction (produced at TheaterWorks in the fall of 2024) is currently in early stages of being produced on Broadway. Jeffrey was born in Evanston, Illinois and is a diagnosed dyslexic who cannot spell to svae his lfie.
About the Artists:
Tim DeKay: TWH: Fever Dreams. He starred as “Peter Burke” for six seasons in the USA series, White Collar. While under contract with HBO, he played opposite Holly Hunter in Here and Now and starred as a series regular on both Tell Me You Love Me (AFI Award) and the Emmy Award-winning series Carnivale.
His films include Oppenheimer, Peaceful Warrior, Big Eden, Control, Swordfish, Randy and the Mob, and others. Mr. DeKay has appeared in over 200 episodes of television, including recurring roles on 1923, Chicago Med, Bosch Legacy, American Crime, Agents of SHIELD, Seinfeld (as “Bizarro Jerry”), and numerous others. Theater includes The Show-Off on Broadway. Off-Broadway: Billy Budd. Regional: Beth Henley’s Ridiculous Fraud at the McCarter Theater (World Premiere). The Lion in Winter (National Tour), Burning Blue (American Premiere), Denver Center, Hartford Stage, Cleveland Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, Penguin Repertory, and many others. Mr. DeKay has given a TEDx Talk and has spoken at numerous universities. He received his M.F.A. in Acting from Rutgers University, where he met his wife, Elisa.
Rob Morrow: Emmy and Golden Globe nominee actor and director, Rob Morrow has been a beloved mainstay of the film and television industry for decades. He first came to prominence for his award-winning work as Joel Fleischman in the classic series NORTHERN EXPOSURE which now has a fanbase spanning generations since releasing to streaming on Amazon Prime this year.
Rob can currently be seen in the Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman produced Civil War spy series THE GRAY HOUSE on Amazon Prime Video, as well as in Hulu’s limited series MURDAUGH: DEATH IN THE FAMILY opposite Patricia Arquette. He will next appear in the indie drama MAX DAGAN, written and directed by Terre Weisman, starring alongside Michael Madsen and Jay Mohr. Rob stars in comedy THE EX-WIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS currently making its way through the festival circuit, earning accolades at Independent Filmmakers Showcase, LA Independent Film Awards, and more.
Rob’s recent work includes SUPER PUMPED with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, recurring roles on Showtime’s BILLIONS, Starz’s SHINING VALE, and Netflix’s CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Other key television work includes the lead role in CBS hit series NUMB3RS for Ridley Scott, FX’s THE PEOPLE VS OJ SIMPSON for Ryan Murphy, Sony’s TV movie FLINT for Bruce Beresford, ABC’s DESIGNATED SURVIVOR opposite Kiefer Sutherland, iHistory’s mini-series TEXAS RISING, FX series SEX&DRUGS&ROCK&ROLL for Denis Leary, and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER for Comedy Central.
In the film arena, Rob has starred in many films including QUIZ SHOW for Robert Redford, MOTHER for Albert Brooks, and starred opposite Aleksander Skarsgård in the A24 feature THE KILL TEAM, amongst others. Morrow also starred as “Willie Loman” in the Ruskin Theater acclaimed 2019 production of “Death of a Salesman.” This past summer, he played the lead role in Ruskin’s production “Substance of Fire” which extended performances twice over.
Rob has also been building substantial credits as a TV director, most recently as the Co-Executive Producer and Director of BET’s hit GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. After directing four episodes in season one he was brought on as the director/producer, directing 9 of the 10 eps for season two. He directed multiple episodes of Freeform’s THE FOSTERS, USA’s NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, CBS’s NCIS: New Orleans, HBO’s OZ and the feature film MAZE starring Laura Linney.
About TheaterWorks Hartford:
TheaterWorks Hartford, led by Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero and Managing Director Jeff Griffin, has produced relevant, engaging, contemporary theater for 40 years at their historic Pearl St. address. Founded in 1985, TWH is committed to the power of storytelling in creating community and has produced over 200 plays and musicals, including the world premiere of High (with Kathleen Turner), Relativity (with Richard Dreyfuss), and Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn, among others. Visit us at twhartford.org.