Day: August 3, 2024

Waiting for a Lift…

“WISH YOU WERE HERE”

Pulitzer Prize Winner Sanaz Toossi’s critically acclaimed play at Gloucester Stage from August 9 – 25

Gloucester Stage Company is thrilled to continue its 45th-year celebration by announcing the regional premiere of “WISH YOU WERE HERE“ by Pulitzer Prize Winner Sanaz Toossi. Recipient of the prestigious Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, this captivating production will be directed by Melory Mirashrafiº and run at Gloucester Stage from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 25.

Sanaz Toossi‘s masterful storytelling brings breathtaking humanity and cutting wit to the stage as “WISH YOU WERE HERE” chronicles a decade of life as best friends become friends long lost, searching for the bond that once defined them. Featuring a cast of women with Iranian heritage who are making their debuts at Gloucester Stage, the production stars Isan Salem as Zari, Deniz Khateri as Nazanin, Aryana Asefirad as Rana, Cerra Cardwell as Shideh and Josephine Moshiri Elwood as Salme.

Directed by the multi-talented Melory Mirashrafiº, this enlightened comedy invites audiences into the vibrant world of a circle of tight-knit girlfriends in 1980s Iran. As they gather to plan weddings, share intimate moments, and trade witty banter, their lives are set against the backdrop of a country in turmoil, where protests and political unrest threaten to disrupt their sense of normalcy. The play delicately explores themes of friendship, identity, and the complex choices individuals must make in the face of uncertainty. 

“After I finished reading Wish You Were Here, I felt like I met my oldest friends onstage playing through a decade of our lives together,” said Rebecca Bradshaw, Gloucester Stage’s Artistic Director. “They are messy and hilarious, but there are also daunting realities seeping through these women’s curtains ready to infect their fragile bonds. Sanaz has a way of making you feel like you have a seat on the couch next to her characters while layering in an authentic world that you may never experience as an American. We get the opportunity to see friends consider emigrating before they are labeled immigrants. But first, we get to lift up a group of women through all of their beauty, ridiculousness, and pain. We are honored to be able to present the regional premiere of this powerful play to the Gloucester Stage audiences.”

“Wish You Were Here is an exploration of what it is to be an Iranian woman across time and geography. The women of the play are bright, hilarious, flawed, and live undoubtedly within the context of one another. There is an elegance to the simplicity of the language, and a brand of unapologetic comedy cut with immeasurable yearning that is distinctly Iranian, yet undeniably human,” shared Director Melory Mirashrafi. “Every time I read Wish You Were Here, I see photographs of my mom and her four sisters from the seventies and eighties: Getting married, plucking hairs, trading advice, growing older, and for some, eventually leaving. They are a compilation of each other, making their migration not just an absence of the place they left behind, but the people.”

The regional premiere of “WISH YOU WERE HERE” features scenic design by Lindsay Fuori, costume design by Karen J. Gilmer, lighting design by Amanda Fallon, sound design by Bahar Royaee, and prop design by Emme Shaw. The production’s dramaturg is Vahdat Yeganah.  

WISH YOU WERE HERE will run from Friday, August 9, through Sunday, August 25. All performances, unless noted, are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company, located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. Tickets are now on sale and available at GloucesterStage.com. 

The 2024 Season at Gloucester Stage has been made possible by the Shubert Foundation. “WISH YOU WERE HERE” is made possible in part by Mollie Byrnes.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Tickets to the Gloucester Stage 2023 season are on sale now. Single Ticket prices range from $15 to $67, with discounts available for seniors, military families, college students, youth under 18, young professionals under 35, Card to Culture (EBT and WIC), and Cape Ann residents. For detailed ticket information, visit www.gloucesterstage.com.

 For additional information, contact the Box Office at 978.281.4433 or boxoffice@gloucesterstage.com. Located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, the Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

ºStage Directors and Choreographers Society (S.D.C.) Union Member    *Actors Equity Association (A.E.A.) Union Member

My latest painting “RED MOON OVER WHITE BEACH” is done in watercolor, pencil  and gels. Please let me know if you like it for GMG.

THANKS SO MUCH!!

PJ Bovio 

Late Night Bites served every night from 

9pm until 11pm. Dine in only.

Bar bites available:

Empanadas, two empanadas stuffed with pork carnitas, cheese, and topped with salsa verde

Taquitos, two taquitos filled with beef, ranchero salsa, Mexican crema, lettuce, pico, and cotija cheese

Mexican Pizza, flour tortilla topped with apricot chipotle, pork cochinita, pickled onions, and cheese

Queso, mixed with corn, poblano pepper, onion, cilantro, and chipotle

Mini Poblano Chimichanga, flour tortilla stuffed with shredded chicken, cheese, and topped with our signature poblano sauce

$1 Wings, choice of Apricot Chipotle, Smoky Chipotle, or Habanero

If you see this guy around today, wish him a happy anniversary of his first visit to Gloucester 39 years ago. Jim’s first visit to Gloucester was on our honeymoon in 1985 and he never looked back. We are very happy as Gloucester residents and thank you all for embracing us. A good deal has changed over the years, but our love for this place remains steady. Wait….this also applies to our marriage I guess….Happy Anniversary GMG Jim!

It starts with how genuinely wonderful Daphne and Wandee the owners are and then it goes to the super inviting space they designed and then you get to the completely unique dishes they serve. Everything is delicious but it’s not the same stuff you get at so many other places. It’s out of the box, fresh concepts that wow every time.

You should have seen the table when everyone tried the chowder for the first time. You would have thought we were at an orgy.

Link to website: https://www.fleurcuisineharborside.com/

1 T-Wharf Rockport