News Release
The Sunshine Boys to feature David Regal and Arthur Beer
For the first time in over 25 years, award-winning actors David Regal and Arthur Beer, will play opposite each other as The Theatre Company of the University of Detroit Mercy presents The Sunshine Boys, one of Neil Simon's funniest comedies.
The Sunshine Boys are two veteran vaudevillian actors, Al Lewis (David Regal) and Willy Clark (Arthur Beer). The famous duo, known over the course of forty-odd years as "Lewis and Clark", not only grew to hate each other but, during the final year of their act, never even spoke to each other off-stage. Clark, who was not ready for retirement, resented Lewis for opting to leave show business and breaking up the act. It is now 1972 and CBS has invited the team to reunite for a television special on the history of comedy. Find out if Lewis and Clark can pull it together for one last laugh! Witness this reunion of David Regal and Arthur Beer, 25 years in the making, for a night of terrific comedy.
David Regal, (Hamtramck/Detroit, MI) is a founder of the Theatre Company of University of Detroit Mercy. Graduating from the first MFA class of the Hilberry Theatre at Wayne State University, Regal took a leading role in developing the Theatre Company at UDM. Regal is currently the Artistic Director of the Theatre Company where he acts, directs and teaches. Regal has performed across the country and has won numerous awards, including Best Actor, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and the Lee Hills Award. Tim Allen, Keegan Michael Key and David Patrick Kelly, among many others, credit Regal with being their acting coach. Most recently, Regal was the Artistic Director at Meadowbrook Theatre.
Dr. Arthur J. Beer (Warren, MI) has taught, acted, and directed for The Theatre Company since 1975. Before that, he was Director of Theatre at Thiel College, Jacksonville University and The Athens Centre. He has won Best Actor, Best Director and Lifetime Achievement awards from The Detroit Free Press, and numerous acting and directing awards from The Detroit News, The Oakland Press, Between the Lines, Pittsburgh Press and others. He has won the Hopwood and Gesu playwriting awards and is Playwright-in-Residence at The Theatre Company, which has produced five of his original plays and adaptations, including the world premiere of Malice Aforethought: The Sweet Trials and its revival in the 2007 season. Beer and his wife, Mary Bremer, founded and have directed the Classic Theatre Study Abroad program in Greece each summer for the past 25 years. He is currently academic chairman of the Performing Arts Department. He has directed 200 plays and acted in a like number.
Directed by Andrew Huff, The Sunshine Boys opens on Sept. 26 and runs three weekends through Oct. 12. The Theatre Company's performances are held Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Marygrove Theatre on the campus of Marygrove College, 8425 W. McNichols Road.
General admission is $15. Admission for senior citizens, UDM and Marygrove faculty, staff, and alumni is $13. Student admission is $9; UDM and Marygrove students pay only $5 with appropriate ID. The Theatre Company's box office is located in Reno Hall on the McNichols Campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. through 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. For tickets, call the theatre box office at 313-993-3270. For more information visit us at theatre.udmercy.edu.
The Theatre Company wants GREAT THEATRE for you! It is not too late to take advantage of The Theatre Company's best offer on tickets by purchasing season tickets to all four shows for only $46, a savings of 30 percent off regular ticket prices. Season tickets are on sale now through Oct. 12. UDM and Marygrove students can buy season tickets for $15: that's four plays for less than $4 a performance. Student season tickets are also available for high school and other college students for the unbeatable rate of $25 for all four shows.
Photo/Design: by: Greg Grobis
Release date: September 16, 2008
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