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Beginning June 12, Malvern-based theatre People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355) continues its Series 2 productions with the world premiere of Off By One written by Emmy Award-winner Joseph Dougherty. The new play is directed by People’s Light Executive Artistic Director Emerita Abigail Adams, and features a cast highlighted by Broadway veteran and Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck, The Bourne Ultimatum), with Company Artists Claire Inie-Richards, Aubie Merrylees, and Mary Elizabeth Scallen. Off By One runs from June 12 to July 7, with 28 performances presented on the Steinbright Stage, an intimate, flexible 140-seat theatre.
Joseph Dougherty is a television producer, writer, director, and playwright known for his Emmy Award and Humanitas Prize-winning work on the groundbreaking TV series Thirtysomethings. He has also written for other successful TV series such as Judging Amy, Saving Grace, and Pretty Little Liars. As a playwright, Dougherty’s plays have been produced at New York City’s Manhattan Theatre Club and Lincoln Center Theater, and received nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
In Dougherty’s latest production, Off By One, a wrong-number text brings strangers together in a web of curiosity and memory, with magnetic poet Douglas Roote (Strathairn) at the center. As two women (Inie-Richard and Scallen) bond over the late writer’s work, the narrative explores questions of fate, coincidence, and the profound impact of a seemingly small life. The play grapples with the deeply human impulse to seek meaning and connection in the accidental and unknown.
“We are quite honored and fortunate David Strathairn brought Off by One to our theatre and introduced us to Joseph Dougherty, who has inspired me since his Emmy Award-winning work on Thirtysomething,” said Zak Berkman, Producing Artistic Director. “At the center of the play is a thoughtful and powerful meditation on what connects people to one another – emotionally and intellectually, by chance or by fate. Whether 80-something, 50-something, or 20-something, our audiences will be quite stirred by the amount of wonder that’s in this beautifully intimate new play.”
The world premiere production of Off By One at People’s Light is highlighted by award-winning film and television star David Strathairn, who has performed in several productions at the theatre, including The Cherry Orchard (2015), Nathan The Wise (2009), and Sally’s Gone, She Left Her Name (2000). He also previously appeared in Dougherty’s 2016 production of Chester Bailey, presented at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California. Joining Strathairn are Company Artists Claire Inie Richards (The Vinegar Tree), Aubie Merrylees (The Vinegar Tree), and Mary Elizabeth Scallen (Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Panto).
Abigail Adams, Senior Director of Special Projects and Executive Artistic Director Emerita at People’s Light, helms Off By One’s world premiere presentation at People’s Light. Adams has been associated with People’s Light for over 40 years, serving as artistic leader for over two decades and chief executive for 10 years. She also established the New Voices Ensemble at People’s Light in 1990, which received the White House Coming Up Taller Award in 2000. Adams continues to direct productions at People’s Light, most recently leading the theatre’s presentations of The Vinegar Tree in 2022 and Lettie in 2023.
Adams will lead the production’s creative team, which features Company Artists Costume Designer Marla J. Jurglanis, Lighting Designer Dennis Parichy, and Stage Manager Audrey M. Brown. Joining them are Scenic Designer Daniel Zimmerman, Sound Designer Carsen Joenk, Composer Lee Kinney, and Dramaturg Len Berkman.
TICKET INFORMATION
Preview performances for Off By One are from Wednesday, June 12, through Saturday, June 15. The production opens with a performance on Sunday, June 16, at 2 p.m. and runs through Sunday, July 7. Tickets start at $37, including fees. People’s Light also offers a range of ticket discounts, including youth tickets, 50% off Access Nights, 25% off for educators and military, and discounted student and industry tickets. The Access Night performances for Off By One are Friday, June 14, at 7 p.m. or Tuesday, July 2, at 7 p.m.
People’s Light hosts a variety of ancillary events to further engage with audiences around its productions. For Off By One, the theatre continues its post-show talkback series, AfterWORDS, where audience members have a chance to process and ask questions about the piece they just experienced. Every Thursday night performance will conclude with a panel moderated by a People’s Light staff member, who may be joined by a member of the cast or creative team. AfterWORDS for Off By One are available on June 13, 20, and 27.
People’s Light offers a range of Audio and Visual Aids freely available to patrons, including audio headsets, T-Coil “induction” loops, large sensory supports like fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, and more. These supports are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations required. Please pick them up from the House Manager in the theatre lobbies.
Learn more about available ticket discounts here. To purchase single tickets, visit peopleslight.org or call the box office at 610-644-3500. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call the People’s Light Box Office at 610-644-3500 or email tickets@peopleslight.org.
Off By One has an estimated runtime of 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for audiences ages 14 or older. Actors, prices, productions, performance dates, and times are subject to change.
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