Our Season
Set in the 1850s, young Catherine Sloper lives with her father, Dr. Austin Sloper. Catherine is shy, unsophisticated and plain-looking and her father blames her for the death of her mother, who died giving birth to her. The play is about her quest to find romantic love, the hindrances she discovers, and the strength she finds in herself.
The six-actor play is inspired by real events that touch on Civil Rights and censorship issues in the Deep South. By Spring 2019, the highly theatrical play will have been produced in at least 24 cities since its premiere, introducing the world to the little-known true story of a librarian named Emily Reed, who was persecuted by politicians for protecting a children’s picture book, in the Jim Crow South.
The patriarch of a politically prominent Long Island family fights to hold the family together when his eldest daughter, an Army veteran, returns from the Middle East for an uneasy homecoming. The girl, emotionally scarred from her military service, is struggling to take her ex-boyfriend and sister away with her to start a new life in Colorado. Her aim is to liberate them of their hometown influences of society, religion and class that her to enlist. The play reveals the urge of children to break away, the power of family destiny and the emotional ties that bind.
A play within a play, it holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway. A love letter to murder mysteries, it references other popular plays such as Angel Street and Dial M for Murder. Frequently revived and adapted into a film Starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine in 1982.
Like so many other theaters, Albany Civic had to make the difficult decision to suspend the remainder of our 19-20 season. The safety of our patrons and volunteers is of paramount importance. When it is safe to do so, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to ACT.
