Before Terrence McNally's work lands back in New York with the revival of Ragtime this fall, his words can be heard just across the Hudson in his critically-acclaimed play, Lips Together, Teeth Apart presented by 4th Wall Theatre in Bloomfield, NJ. 4th Wall, has produced musicals for the past 12 seasons, and is adding a play to their main-stage lineup for the first time this year.
"We have presented wonderful McNally musicals in the past such as Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Rink," says 4th Wall Artistic Director, Gregory Allen, "and we knew we wanted to present a McNally piece as our first play."
Lips Together, Teeth Apart was first presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club in the early 90s with Christine Baranski, Anthony Heald, Swoosie Kurtz, and Nathan Lane. As two couples spend the 4th of July in a house left to one of the women by her brother who has recently died from an AIDS related illness, they mask their fear with desperate wit and hide inside uncomfortable marriages--each character struggling to come to terms with a world of anxious isolation haunted by ever-present death.
"At first glance, audiences may think this story has become a period piece because of people's reaction to AIDS in the 90s," says director Beth Baur. "But the theme of isolation and fear are universal and McNally tackles these subjects beautifully and truthfully - as if writing a concerto."
McNally's play actually makes much use of music and musical theatre references which also made it a nice cross-over for 4th Wall from their usual world of musical theatre to that of straight plays.
Lips Together, Teeth Apart stars Einar Gunn, Lynn Langone, Alison Ostergaard, Matt Shafer and is presented two weekends Sept 25, 26, 27 & Oct 2, 3, 4. Tickets are $18. 973-748-9008 ext 279 or online at www.4thwalltheatre.org. 4th Wall Theatre is in residence at the Westminster Arts Center on the corner of Franklin & Fremont Streets in Bloomfield, NJ.
