"What would Bogey do?" That's the question posed by Woody Allen's clas­sic screwball romantic comedy, Play It Again, Sam, which opens October 20th at the Clemens Center's Mandeville Hall. This is Elmira Little Theatre's sec­ond production of this great play, and this time director Jerry Holleran (direc­tor of ELT's popular 2005 production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) has put a new spin on the show.

Play It Again, Sam  is the story of Allan Felix, a recently divorced man who is trying to come to grips with dating again.  This is complicated by the fact that Allan suffers from low self esteem and an appalling lack of social grace.  Allan is a professional writer of commentary for Film Quarterly magazine and is a movie geek, another thing that alienates him from the girls he most wants to impress.  He sees life through the filter of classic movies, and when he is desperate to learn the secrets of wooing women, he imagines getting (really bad) advice from Humphrey Bogart.  The show was first produced on Broadway in 1969, and has remained popular ever since.

Jerry Holleran

"One reason certain comedies endure is that the human conditions they explore never change.  That's why Sam is such a crowd pleaser," commented Holleran.  "We all remember a time we tried so hard to fit in, all we did was make ourselves stand out even further.  From adolescents in angst to mid-lifers in crisis, no one is immune to these social gaffes.  The best part is that when it's someone else's gaffes, it's a lot more fun."

Holleran remade the show's theme to accommodate the dynamics of his cast, providing a new perspective from which to enjoy what may be a familiar show to many:  "I was fortunate to have an outstanding ensemble of new faces and ELT regulars.  My lead, Marty King--a veteran of many ELT shows, both onstage and backstage--is distinctively older than the original character as written, so we adapted our approach to the story to reflect a middle-aged guy who, after twenty years of marriage, suddenly finds himself redefining his existence.  Allan's desperation appears more poignant when viewed as a mid-life crisis. A very funny mid-life crisis, because in Allan's efforts to win the hearts of women, he imagines Humphrey Bogart (played by Don Lerario) telling him the secrets to winning the love of 'beautiful dame.'  Of course, Bogey's solutions usually in­volve a shot of bourbon and a slap across the kisser, so he's not a lot of help."

The Cast
Marty King	Michelle Uschock	Don Lerario	Amy Lange
Mike Carson	Olivia Fagan	Meghan O'Toole Tuazon	Michelle May
Judy Born	Christine Gill	Joy Clark

The cast also includes a mix of faces familiar to ELT audiences and several newcomers, including Amy Lange, Mike Carson, Michelle Uschock, Meghan O'Toole Tuazon, Olivia Fagan, Judy Born, Christine Gill, Michelle May, and Judy Clark.

"Come for the laughs, stay for the memories" Holleran encourages.

Performances are October 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 at 8pm and a mati­nee on Sunday, October 22nd, at 2pm. To reserve your tickets, call the Clem­ens Center box office at 607-734-8191. Remember, our shows often sell out and your vouchers are not tickets, so if you want to guarantee your seats, call ahead.