February 15 - March 12, 2022

Written By: Hy Conrad

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A world premiere of a wickedly funny new play by Hy Conrad. Hy, the well-known Key West resident who wrote a good many of the Monk episodes, as well as White Collar, and the recent hit, The Good Cop, has taken the trials and tribulations of our pandemic quarantine and turned them hilariously on their heads. The play mixes comedy, intrigue, (and of course) murder, and a neck-bending twist that you won't see coming.

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“QUARANTINE FOR TWO” TO PREMIERE AT RED BARN

God knows there hasn’t been much to laugh about the last couple of years. Pandemics tend to lean that way.

But thanks to Hy Conrad – the writer/producer of the very funny “Monk” series – we’ll get a chance to shake off a little of the downside of things when his new play, “Quarantine For Two”, opens a four week run on February 15th at Key West’s Red Barn Theatre. The production marks the play’s American premiere.

“Hy and I were chatting one day,” said artistic director Joy Hawkins, “and we thought a funny play about this might be good for people, to lighten things up a bit. And who better to do that than Hy Conrad?”

The play centers on a typical, middle-aged, suburban couple – played by David Black and Mimi McDonald – who have been quarantining at home for more than a year. But it hasn’t gone well. In fact, they’ve driven each other crazy, to the point that each has come to the conclusion that for their own sanity, they need to kill the other. How they go about that – with the involvement of a somewhat dim and double-dealing poolboy-turned-hitman played by Rhett Kalman – leads to a very hilarious escalation of complications.

“I tend to write toward comedy and crime,” Conrad said. “The idea of two people in lockdown who desperately want to kill each other seemed to make comic sense, if we want to make light of our fears in the moment. Balancing the truth in the Covid situation with finding the humanity in the characters and making it funny was the challenge.”

But Conrad makes it work exceptionally well. In a private reading of the play last summer, it was hard for the cast and crew to get through the script without breaking into laughter.

“The last two years have been so surreal and ludicrous and crazy,” Hawkins said. “So let’s just jump in and laugh at the predicament we’ve all been in. Because somewhere in all of this, we really do need to find a laugh.”

And as she said, who better than Hy Conrad to give that to us?

Tickets for “Quarantine For Two”, the second of the Red Barn’s season of “Bright and Brilliant Comedies”, are available now at redbarntheatre.com or by calling 305-296-9911.

The play is sponsored in part by Jane Gardner Interiors, the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

March 6 & 7, 2022

Limited engagement — 2 nights only!

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BASSIST FOR THE STARS: VAIL JOHNSON TELLS ALL IN RED BARN LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

You might not recognize him on the street nor know his name, but you’ve probably seen him onstage and you’ve most certainly have heard him…probably many times.

Vail Johnson is his name, and he’s a bassist. Not just any bassist, mind you, but THE bassist when it comes to studio work, recordings, and live performance.  He’s been doing it for over 40 years with some of the top names in music, and he’s bringing a career-ful of behind-the-scenes stories and almost every note of the great music he’s had a hand in to the Red Barn Theatre in Key West.

His one-man show, “Bassically Incorrect: Around the World in 40 Years” will have a limited engagement at the Barn Sunday and Monday, March 6 and 7 only. Tickets are available now at redbarntheatre.com or by calling 305-296-9911.

Want some names he’s put the bottom under? How about Kenny G, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Nicks, Keb’ Mo’, George Benson, Michael Bolton, James Ingram, Gil Scott Heron, Paula Abdul, MC Hammer, T. Graham Brown, David Cassidy, Steve Perry, Patti Austen, Peabo Bryson, Edgar Winter, and Christopher Cross, just to name a very few.

“It just sort of happened,” Johnson said recently. “I was playing in a lounge band back in the late 70’s, and Kenny G’s percussionist sees me, brings Kenny to the gig, and the next thing I know, I’m playing in Kenny G’s band. We go to LA, and Stevie Nicks sees me at a gig, and asks me to do her record. It just snowballed from there.”

It wasn’t all luck, however. Johnson was ready when the door opened. The youngest of seven brothers (one of his older siblings is Key West’s Jeff Johnson), Vail was immersed in all kinds of music through his family – classical, choral, gospel, bluegrass, Dixieland, Top 40. He absorbed it all, mixing in whatever he came across, including jazz, hip-hop, metal rock, and pure improvisation. His virtuosity, passion, and humor were his calling card, and his ability to play virtually any style extremely well sealed the deal.

And all of it is on display in his one-man show – from Kenny G’s, George Benson’s, and Herbie Hancock’s jazz to Steve Perry’s and Stevie Nicks’s rock, to Peabo Bryson’s soul and Keb’Mo’s blues.

“I tell stories about the artists I’ve played and toured with, and then play and sing along with the tracks I’ve done with them or played on tour. I do some of my own stuff too. And what I do is not just ‘play bass’…people are surprised what I can do on a bass in terms of playing music. Look…it’s a guitar. It just happens to be a bass. I can make it sound like a Spanish guitar, or bluesy finger-picking, or monster slapping.”

Ask Johnson who was the most fun he’s had with any artist, and the answer might surprise you. “Edgar Winter,” he said. “For me to play ‘Frankenstein’ with Edgar Winter? Man, that was freakin’ fun!”

It doesn’t matter what style of music or what particular artist you like personally – there’s a very good chance Vail Johnson will tell you a story about touring with them, or play something you’ve heard by them in his show. And odds are you’ll say, “Oh, yeah! I know that one! He played bass on that?”

Tickets for “Bassically Incorrect” are two-tiered. For the Sunday, March 6 show, all tickets are $60. For Monday night’s show, they’re $75, but that gets you an invite to the catered after-party in the Red Barn courtyard, where you can meet and talk music with Vail Johnson and enjoy some delish foods.

You’ll also be able to purchase some of Vail’s own CDs both evenings, the proceeds from which will be going directly to the Florida Keys SPCA.

This show is sponsored in part by Design Group Key West, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

February 3-5, 2022

A Tribute to Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme

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There are very few married couples who have reached the rare air of the entertainment world’s pinnacle of success. George Burns and Gracie Allen come to mind, and Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

But one couple stands above them all in the music sphere: Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

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RED BARN PRESENTS SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT “WALKING HAPPY” FEBRUARY 3-5
A Tribute to Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme

There are very few married couples who have reached the rare air of the entertainment world’s pinnacle of success. George Burns and Gracie Allen come to mind, and Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

But one couple stands above them all in the music sphere: Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme.

And February 3-5, you would not be blamed for thinking that dynamic duo is somehow standing on the outdoor stage of Key West’s Red Barn Theatre when singers Jim Rice and Valerie Roy bring Steve and Eydie back to life in their celebrated tribute, “Walking Happy”. All three shows will be presented under the stars on the courtyard stage in front of the theater.

The special engagement features Rice, a pianist, singer, and arranger who has worked closely with many top acts, including Key West’s Randy Roberts. Joining him will be Valerie Roy, a lauded singer on her own, and one of Rice’s closest friends.

“We’ve known each other 25 years,” Rice said recently. “I’ve done a lot of her arranging work, and we’re so attuned to one another now – on stage and off – that it’s like we’re married. Like Steve and Eydie, we’re on the same page every moment, and it’s very obvious on stage.”

That tight friendship and musicality serve Rice and Roy well as they re-animate Steve and Eydie in their Vegas-style show. Hit songs like “This Could Be The Start Of Something Big”, “Make Someone Happy”, “A Lot Of Living”, “What Did I Have”, and “A Room Without Windows” complement the easy and entertaining banter Steve and Eydie had on their many network specials and appearances on “The Tonight Show”.

Steve Allen’s version of that show is where Lawrence and Gorme met, in fact, when she was hired as a solo performer and ran into the show’s staff singer and co-star. “I fell in love,” Gorme has said. “I fell madly in love with him instantly.”

They were inseparable after that night, married soon after, and began their remarkable run of Grammy and Emmy awards, hit Broadway shows, and tours with their mentor and close friend, Frank Sinatra.

“Steve Lawrence was a really fine singer,” Rice said. “In fact, Sinatra said many times that Steve Lawrence was a much better singer than he was. And Eydie was a perfect match for him.”

Tickets for the limited engagement of “Walking Happy” at the Red Barn are available now at redbarntheatre.com or 305-296-9911. Seating will be limited, so early reservations are suggested.

The shows are sponsored in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

January 18-29, 2022

Written By: Bess Wohl

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Cats Talk Back is an engrossing mock-docu-comedy by award-winning New York playwright Bess Wohl, in which several actors who supposedly spent a good part of their lives performing in one of Broadway's longest-running musicals reminisce about their experiences as felines on stage. There are a few surprises, however, so be ready!

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FUNNY AND POIGNANT CATS TALK BACK OPENS THE RED BARN’S 42nd SEASON

It’s been a long dry spell thanks to the pandemic, but theater is finally back in Key West! And the Red Barn will open its new season with a special show you won’t want to miss.

Critics call it “a winner…funny, poignant, and observant…” (Backstage) and “…a bubbly, easy-going treat of theatre…” (Time Out). You’ll call it wonderful.

What you’ll be watching is Cats Talk Back, the critically-acclaimed mock-docu-comedy by New York’s celebrated young playwright, Bess Wohl, which opens the Red Barn Theatre’s stellar 42nd season of bright and brilliant comedies.

The play will be presented outdoors under the stars in the Red Barn’s expansive courtyard, and run January 18th through January 29, 2022. All curtains are at 8 pm.

The magic of the play’s unique concept – a talk-back session with several former cast members of Cats, one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history – lies in its realism. That realism is effected through the panel discussion’s moderator, a respected member of the theatrical community…in this case, Murphy Davis, one of Key West’s best known theater directors. The use of Davis as the facilitator of the on-stage discussion blurs the lines of fiction and reality. Are these really Cats actors, or actors playing those actors?

The panelists are ostensibly all former members of the Cats production, which ran for 18 years and 7845 performances. But during the play, we learn that the musical’s success was not always these actors’ success. There’s Monique, who survived the full 18 years, but had her dancing career stalled because of it. There’s Bonnie, whose hunger for approval was squashed when the show closed right after she joined the cast. There’s Steven, an actor’s actor, and Hector, the quintessential egocentric, boastful actor who still manages to be charismatic.

Cats Talk Back never lets the audience know for sure what they’re watching. As the evening progresses, there are moments of human connection and expressed friendship, but also moments that indicate cast in-fighting and tensions. And then suddenly one or more of the “cats” will break into acapella renditions of Cats songs, trying once again to find their inner jellicle cat.

Cats Talk Back stars Michael Mulligan, Marjorie Paul Shook, Nicole Nurenburg, Rhett Kalman, and Davis. It is directed by the Red Barn’s Artistic Director, Joy Hawkins. The show is sponsored by the Smith Law Firm, the Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

Tickets are available at redbarntheatre.com or at the theater’s box office, 305-296-9911.

A Message from the writer, Bess Wohl

“I am so deeply moved and honored that it is being revisited again, and finding new life in Key West.”

“CATS TALK BACK is my first play. I wrote it while I was an acting student at the Yale School of Drama, and it was originally performed at a small, student-run space called the Yale Cabaret. Each role was tailored specifically to one of my classmates and the play itself was a love letter to theatre, actors, and the community we build together. We promoted the play as if it was entirely real, and many non-Yale people who came to see the show thought that the actors in it were actually the real performers from Cats. It all felt like a giant trick, a joyful prank-- which I now realize is how I think about most theatre, no matter the form. When I sat in the audience of Cats Talk Back for the very first time in front of a raucous, late night crowd it was a terrifying, thrilling watershed moment in my life. I had never before sat in an audience to watch actors say text I had written. I had never seen a crowd respond to my words onstage before-- and the responses were wild. I remember vividly the moment, sitting there, when I knew that playwriting was my future path. CATS TALK BACK went on to be performed at the NY International Fringe Festival to sold-out performances and won the Fringe award for Best Overall Production. For me, the play is, at its heart, about the difficulty of recapturing our peak moments in life, the moments that become memory. Years after writing the play, when we were performing it yet again at a Fringe reunion benefit, I realized that the experience of creating the play was now one of those peak past moments, something we all miss deeply but can never recapture. In the end, the play became the very thing that I was writing about. I am so deeply moved and honored that it is being revisited again, and finding new life in Key West.

With gratitude, Bess”

Online Event

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THE CONCHS AND COWBOYS ARE BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN AT THE RED BARN

John Wells, Tom Murtha, and Paul Cotton almost met way back in the 1970s. It was in the Baltimore Civic Center, where Wells and Murtha were part of the opening act for Cotton’s headliner, the seminal California country rock band, Poco, which rose from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield and provided the DNA for bands like the Eagles. But as is usually the case with big-time concerts, the openers didn’t mix with the headliners.

Flash forward several decades to a couple of years ago, when Wells unexpectedly ran into Cotton at the Red Barn Theatre in Key West and reminded him of that gig in Baltimore. The two guitarists started reminiscing and talking music, and the next thing you know, they’re calling bassist Murtha, drummer Gary McDonald, and harmonica virtuoso George Halloran to get together just to jam and make some music.

And that’s usually how the great groups happen. This one became one of Key West’s most popular amalgams, the Made In Key West Band – also lovingly known as the Conchs and Cowboys – who will be Back In The Saddle Again when they return to the Red Barn Theatre for six rousing nights of great tunes and stories, which they call “Tales of Old Key West”. Shows are scheduled for Sundays and Mondays, February 21-22, 28-29, and March 6-7. The first notes will ring out at 8 pm each night.

“Paul Cotton had not really done a lot of this kind of thing – a musical concert in a theatrical setting,“ Wells said. “He was used to the arenas or small music clubs like the Troubador. But it sounded so good, he was willing to give it a try.”

Both Cotton and the audiences loved the experience. Last year’s shows at the Red Barn were complete sellouts, with everyone thoroughly enjoying the eclectic mix of songs and stories. Wells anticipates this year’s shows will have the same result.

“We do vocals you don’t hear very often,” Wells said, “and songs that we love. Some have Key West associations, some are arrangements that I heard that are so different from what you normally hear. And we do a few of Paul’s Poco tunes too.”

The intriguing part of a Conchs and Cowboys show is the theatricality of it, Wells said, which comes from the way they weave the stories of the songs into the show.

“It’s not just a band playing music,” he said. “It’s a whole experience. It’s really improvisational and in the moment, so each night’s show will be a little different. I’ve never done anything like it. It really just flies.”

If you caught last year’s shows, expect to hear some of the favorites the audience let the band know they liked best. But Wells, Cotton, and crew also have several new things in their saddlebags for this year’s shows.

“The thing I’m most appreciative of are the people who say they really like the songs and stories we do,” Wells said. “We have a lot of fun.”

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Extended through December 5th!
November 24 - 28, 2020

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PRESS RELEASE
For further information, call: Bob Bowersox at 302-540-6102

For immediate release

HILARIOUS “LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE” KICKS OFF RED BARN’S NEW SEASON

The Red Barn Theatre kicks off its 41st season of professional theater in Key West this month with an online streaming production of Nora and Delia Ephron’s hilarious five-woman play, Love, Loss and What I Wore. 

The play will be available through the theater’s website – redbarntheatre.com – from midnight, Tuesday, November 24th through 11:59 pm on Saturday, November 28th. Patrons can watch the netcast anytime they want after purchasing access via a Season Membership, Subscription, or single ticket.

The play is a series of monologues and dialogues between a variety of women of various ages, each of whom delivers funny and poignant stories that have been triggered by their individual experiences with clothing throughout their lives. They touch on virtually everything – from their first Brownie dress to their first prom dress, from bathrobes to bras, from shoes to boots to skirts, and the value of anything black.  It’s impossible not to relate to their tales, especially if you’re a woman…what they talk about is universal to anyone who has worn just about anything. The stories are personal, intriguing, and ultimately very funny.

Screenshot of LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE Zoom Rehearsal

Love, Loss and What I Wore stars five of Key West’s top actresses: Amber McDonald Good, Melody G. Moore, Peggy Montgomery, Barbara Mundy, and Susannah Wells. It is directed by Carole MacCartee and produced by Bob Bowersox, who has devised a clever way of using the Zoom interface as the world of the play, while making use of film editing techniques to make the play more visually active.

The production kicks off a full season at the Red Barn, with all of the mainstage productions staged live in an outdoor space in the theater’s Zabar Courtyard. The Love, Loss netcast is also the kickoff to the theater’s Membership and Subscription drives – a very important part of their operating capital drive. Memberships are available in a number of levels, each with its own perks. Subscriptions are available for their entire 2020-21 season. Single tickets for the netcast are also available.

More information can be found at redbarntheatre.com or by calling 305-296-9911.

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Cast:

Barbara Mundy
Melody G. Moore
Peggy Montgomery
Susannah Wells
Amber McDonald Good

Produced by:

Bob Bowersox

Directed by:

Carole MacCartee

December 16 - 20, 2020

Written By: Darrin Hagen
Directed By: Christopher Peterson

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Directed and Costumed by Christopher Peterson! An elevator. An uptight, recently-divorced accountant. A drag queen in full “Christmas Queen Pageant” regalia. When the elevator gets stuck, her dream’s in danger and an unlikely friendship is forged. This hysterical and heartwarming show reminds us the spirit of Christmas can arrive in unexpected packages. From Darrin Hagen, the writer of “Bitch Slap!”. Starring Trey Gerrald and Don Bearden.

“Flat-out wonderful” — The Calgary Herald

March 8 - 20, 2021

Written By: Jane Martin

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Key West’s Red Barn Theatre will present the fourth online offering of its 41st season with a streaming production of Jane Martin’s funny and provocative “Sez She”, starring a stellar cast of 16 of Key West’s top female actors, directed by the Barn’s artistic director, Joy Hawkins.

The show will run March 8-20 and can be accessed through the theater’s website at redbarntheatre.com. Tickets are only $10, with viewing available 24/7 on any platform with an internet connection, be it TV, phone, or tablet.

“Sez She” is the late Martin’s final play in a series that has featured the broad perspectives on life of modern-day women, told in a series of intimate and revealing monologues. Two previous plays, “Talking With” and “Vital Signs”, have won numerous awards, including the American Theatre Critics Best Play Award. Martin, herself, has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for another of her plays, “Keely and Du”.

“Sez She” offers humorous and outspoken takes on everything from the fun of regressing to our childhood to the grownup "wheeee" of sex, from celebrating Damn Fools Day to the virtues of being green (yes…the color green). They touch chords of hilarity, surprise, homespun philosophy, frustration, and even political commentary. Each and every one of them has you hanging on every word.

The actors in the play are: Susannah Wells, George DiBraud, Caroline Taylor, Carolyn Cooper, Erin McKenna, Marjorie Paul Shook, Jessica Miano Kruel, Amber McDonald Good, Gerri Louise Gates, Melody G. Moore, Nicole Nurenberg, Zoe Hawkins-Wells, Vanessa McCaffrey, and Mimi McDonald.

Whether written by a man or woman, Jane Martin’s “Sez She” is a powerful, engaging, provocative play perfectly tuned to the times we are living through right now. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune called it

 “…enormously entertaining, more like a Disney World ride aimed at adults. Lean back, take a deep breath, and grasp the handrail firmly.”

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WOMEN WHO STAND BEHIND THE BARN

This project is made possible due to the generosity of
Keys Open Doors Foundation Inc, and the following women:

Amy Bondurant

Judith Daykin

Jane Gardner

Michele Grahl

Diane May

Maxine Makover

Anne McKee

Betsy Menser

Loraine Tacke

Loretta Tarver

Ann Reynolds

Marty Spiker

April 29 - May 1, 2022

Written By: Nora Ephron
Music & Lyrics By: John Forster

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Cast of 2022’s “Eat Like A Child”

ENCHANTING “EAT LIKE A CHILD” IN LIMITED RUN AT THE RED BARN THEATRE

Thirty-two years ago, a cast of talented kids hit the stage of the Red Barn Theatre in Key West, singing and dancing their way through a delightful musical called “Eat Like a Child: And Other Lessons on How Not To Be A Grown-up.”

Among that group of young actors were Amber McDonald, Garth Holtcamp, and Camila Duke, who were nine or ten years old at the time. Amber had literally grown up in the theater her parents – Mimi and Gary McDonald – established eight years earlier.

Fast forward 32 years. Amber, Garth, and Camila all have kids of their own and history is about to repeat itself.

The Red Barn will present an updated version of “Eat Like A Child” in a very limited four-performance run Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1. The Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 pm, and there will be a 2 pm matinee on Saturday and Sunday.

And front and center on the stage? The next generation: Lilly and Logan Good (Amber’s kids), Phineas Haskell (Camila’s son), and Greta Holtcamp (Garth’s daughter), among a dozen others.

“We’re calling it a ‘legacy’ production,” said Mimi McDonald, who with actress Carolyn Taylor will be directing the new show. “We’ve been waiting for all our kid’s kids to get to the 8 to 10-year-old stage so we could do it. It’s a very sweet show, written about and for kids, performed by kids. We’re having a ball.”

The very cute book for the show was written by Delia Ephron (Nora’s sister), with music and lyrics by John Forster, the award-winning singer-songwriter and composer of multiple children’s musicals. Nancy 3 Hoffman will be providing the musical accompaniment for the score, and Penny Leto will be handling the choreography.

The show centers around everything that impacts a kid’s world in wonderful little vignettes that feature various combinations of the young actors – from trying to sell the parents on getting a dog, to not wanting to go to bed, pretending to be sick to get out of going to school, how they don’t like their little sister, and the injustice of having to walk somewhere when there’s a perfectly good car to take them there. And that’s just a sampling.

“It’s really fun to hear them sing the same songs that have been stuck in my head all these years,” said Amber. “And it’s nice to acknowledge what really hasn’t changed – technology may have changed a lot, but all the stuff that’s true to being a kid is still the same, generation to generation.”

Her mom, Mimi, adds, “It’s about universal truths that don’t change. Any adult who sees this will most definitely see a lot of things they did themselves, for sure.”

Tickets are limited because of the short run and can be had at redbarntheatre.com or by calling 305-296-9911. The show is sponsored in part by Keys Open Doors and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

Mar 24, 2020 - Apr 18, 2020

Written By: Terrence McNally
Directed By: Murphy Davis

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A timeless love story of a waitress and a short order cook. Their sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious interplay lights up this one night stand between two lonely people who long for more.

As Clair de Lune plays on the radio, Johnny woos the reluctant Frankie and we root for this odd couple to find their way to each other and out of their past disappointments. Terrence McNally was recently awarded the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. The Red Barn first produced this play in 1990 and is thrilled to honor Mr. McNally and our theatre's 40th Anniversary with another production of this beautiful play.

"A celebration of human sexuality and love! Dazzling and funny!” —The New York Times

***Contains adult content and brief nudity***

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Cast:

Erin McKenna as Frankie
Al Bundonis as Johnny

March 8 - 9, 2020

Starring: John Wells

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This is a 2-night Special Event and not considered a Main Stage production.

Raconteur Extraordinaire…John Wells returns with songs and stories to reacquaint you with the old days of Key West with his guitar. Mesmerizing voice and unique sense of humor. John's many roles on the many stages of Key West include Conchs, Cowboys & Tales of Old Key West, 1776, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Urinetown, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Oliver!, South Pacific, and The Song of Singapore, just to name a few.

Over 40 years in Key West and the songs and stories just don't stop. Don't miss the fun!

Feb 18, 2020 - Mar 14, 2020

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 “There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!”

Always one of our most popular shows of any season, come enjoy an evening of quirky, out-of-the-ordinary short plays, populated with a host of top Key West actors.

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Cast:

Don Bearden
Amber McDonald Good
Andrew Hodge
Susannah Wells
Jeremy Zoma

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February 2 - 3, 2020

Singer, Pianist, Arranger: Jim Rice

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This is a 2-night Special Event and not considered a Main Stage production.

The debut of Jim's long-awaited one man show, with Joe Dallas (bass) and Daniel Clark (drums)!

We know his artistry from Randy Robert's Tennessee Williams Theatre shows and Always...Patsy Cline and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story at the Red Barn. His musical arrangements sparkle with charisma, wit and attitude. His vocal styling is that of an old school crooner meets Broadway but he can also belt out a tune with impeccable phrasing. This singer, pianist, arranger promises to engage and delight Key West audiences no matter the Mood he's.....no wait....YOU are IN.

Jan 14, 2020 - Feb 8, 2020

Written By: Aaron Posner
Directed By: Joy Hawkins

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In this playful, far from cynical, fourth-wall piercing new hit play, a group of old friends, ex-lovers and occasional enemies gather to grapple with life's thorniest questions and each other. What could possibly go wrong? Lustful and lonely, hapless and hopeful, these seven souls collide and stumble their way to new understandings. Does LIFE SUCK or doesn't it?

"Altogether wise, profoundly humane, hilarious, quirky and endearing in countless clever ways" - Chicago Sun-Times

"Sassy yet heartfelt" - The Washington Post

"Very smart and self-aware . . . hugely enjoyable" - Chicago Tribune

"Life sucks, maybe, but watching the Posner play is pure bliss" - DCTheatreScene.com

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Cast:

David Black
George diBraud
Aaron Duclos
Jessica Miano Kruel
Karl Stahl
Caroline Taylor
Susannah Wells

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Dec 10, 2019 - Jan 4, 2020

Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed. Adapted by Nia Vardalos.
Directed By: Joy Hawkins

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A struggling writer takes over as an online advice columnist who admits she doesn't have all the answers but mines her own mistakes to empathically respond to dilemmas that are at the heart of being human. The play was based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed of "Wild" fame (a book and movie starring Reese Witherspoon) and was originally directed by Thomas Kail, the director of Hamilton. Tiny Beautiful Things is a luminous play about reaching when you're stuck, healing when you're broken and finding the courage and humor to take on the questions which sometimes have no answers.

"A theatrical hug in turbulent times" - Variety

"Provocative, poignant and rich" - New York Daily News

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Cast:

Nicole Nurenberg as Sugar with David Black, Morgan Fraga Pierson and Arthur Crocker as the many and varied letter writers.

Mar 26, 2019 - Apr 20, 2019

Written By: Steve Martin
Directed By: Joy Hawkins
Starring: Dave Bootle, Michael Castellano, Elena Devers, & Susannah Wells

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An adult comedy by Steve Martin! Get ready for the unexpected when Norm and Corky invite another couple to their Ojai backyard to watch a meteor shower. The conversation gets rolling, cocktails flow, tempers flare, and sparks fly — literally. Starring Dave Bootle, Michael Castellano, Elena Devers, and Susannah Wells. Directed by Joy Hawkins.

“Steve Martin’s surprising new comedy takes an offbeat and absurdist look at the comic anxiety lurking just beneath the surface of modern marriage.” — The Old Globe

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Mar 10, 2019 - Mar 11, 2019

Written By: John Wells

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A special Two-Night-Only Non-Subscription Event! John Wells, a 40 year resident of Key West, will sing and play guitar and tell tales of his years in this ever changing city. A songwriter, musician and actor, John was a founding member of The Red Barn Theatre. His credits include 1776, The Man of La Mancha, Oliver!, South Pacific, Frankie & Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Pippin, Urinetown, August:Osage County and The Trip to Bountiful. He also wrote, arranged and performed in Conchs, Cowboys and Tales of Old Key West.

Feb 24, 2019

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It’s never too late to plan for great times with great people, so mark your calendars now for our only fundraiser party of the year! The Red Barn Gala is slated for February 24, 2019 at the Oldest House, 322 Duval Street. This year’s theme is Reggae Night Party, so come with your best dreds, bright colors, and dancin’ feet! Great music by the HOB Steel Band with local favorite Chris Case, great food by the Iron Chefs, great drink, our always-spectacular Silent Auction, and a whole lot more! Grab your tickets on our Ticket Page now to join us to celebrate the Big Things in a Small Space that the Red Barn has been for the past 39 years!! See you there, Mon!

Feb 19, 2019 - Mar 16, 2019

Written By: Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman
Directed By: Joy Hawkins
Starring: Kim Schroeder Long & David Black

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A fresh, remarkably personal and poignant view of the woman whose unparalleled talent and unbridled personality made her a legend on film, recordings, radio, and TV. With her signature songs woven throughout, you’ll be moved by her personal battles and cheer for her triumphant comeback. Starring Kim Schroeder Long and David Black. Musical Direction and Piano by Jim Rice, with Joe Dallas on bass and Daniel Clark on drums.

“A great story with captivating music!” — BroadwayWorld.com

Jan 15, 2019 - Feb 9, 2019

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Back by popular demand with all-new, fun, 10-minute plays! What do you get when ou take a company of actors, directors, and filmmakers and mix in fresh, clever plots? SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE, that’s what! This evening of shorts typically includes lots of laughs and incredible talent. A high-octane evening for everyone!