From our earliest age – when someone hurts us – we are taught to turn the other cheek. Set in an inner city soup kitchen, Grand Concourse introduces us to Shelley, a basketball playing nun, who has dedicated her life to serving others. Into the mix comes Emma, a complex and mysterious young woman who wants to make a difference. With sharp humor and brutal honesty, Grand Concourse forces us to question if some actions are unforgivable. To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, Shotgun Players presents the entire season in repertory with a core ensemble of 12 actors. Grand Concourse begins previews on July 13, Opens July 16, with an initial run through August 21 and onward as part of the repertory season through January 2017 at The Ashby Stage.
In the tradition of Dorothy Day and The Sisters of Social Service, Shelley has been running an underfunded soup kitchen for almost twenty years. And she’s wearing thin. It’s a rather hopeless place to be – serving an endless parade of people in need with very little support. Young and vibrant Emma, the kitchen’s newest volunteer, provides a boost of energy and renewed pride in doing good. Their quick friendship acts as a catalyst for Shelley, who puts her trust in Emma, overlooking some major red flags.
Playwright Heidi Schreck grew up working in soup kitchens herself – she is the child of teachers who met while running a homeless shelter. She was inspired to write a play which portrayed relationships between people brought together expressly because of their mission to help others. Says Schreck: “There’s a lot of extraordinarily beautiful stuff that goes on, and a lot of crazy that goes on. Everyone’s motives for helping and needing help are different, and they sometimes can create very intense situations.”
Director Joanie McBrien says of the show: “Forgiveness is a virtue that we all embrace – isn’t it always better to forgive? Certainly there are dozens of eloquent arguments and phrases that support this belief. From the biblical “turn the other cheek”, Shakespeare’s famous “the quality of mercy is not strained” to the simple yet handy “forgive and forget.” There is also the belief that it is healthier to embrace forgiveness, so that you let go of potentially toxic anger and resentment. Grand Concourse explores the idea of whether there are situations where it’s best to make another choice. At Shotgun Players we thrive on producing plays that ask thorny, provocative questions. Such is the case with Grand Concourse. Are we more likely to hold ourselves accountable for our actions if we are not forgiven?”
Heidi Schreck is a playwright, screenwriter, and two-time Obie Award-winning actor. Her first play Creature was produced in New York in by New Georges and Page 73 in a well-received production directed by Leigh Silverman; her second There Are No More Big Secrets, directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and was a New York Magazine and Time Out New York’s Critic’s pick. Most recently, The Long Wharf produced her dark recession-era comedy, The Consultant, which was developed at Playwrights Horizons. A former Page 73 Playwriting Fellow and Sundance artist, Heidi is currently working on commissions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and True Love Productions. She has also performed extensively at theaters such as The Public (Shakespeare in the Park), Manhattan Theatre Club, Two-Headed Calf, The Foundry, Clubbed Thumb, The Women’s Project, The Roundabout, Williamstown, Berkeley Rep and Center Theatre Group. On television, Heidi has appeared on The Good Wife, SVU, and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie, where she has also worked as a writer.
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In the tradition of Dorothy Day and The Sisters of Social Service, Shelley has been running an underfunded soup kitchen for almost twenty years. And she’s wearing thin. It’s a rather hopeless place to be – serving an endless parade of people in need with very little support. Young and vibrant Emma, the kitchen’s newest volunteer, provides a boost of energy and renewed pride in doing good. Their quick friendship acts as a catalyst for Shelley, who puts her trust in Emma, overlooking some major red flags.
Playwright Heidi Schreck grew up working in soup kitchens herself – she is the child of teachers who met while running a homeless shelter. She was inspired to write a play which portrayed relationships between people brought together expressly because of their mission to help others. Says Schreck: “There’s a lot of extraordinarily beautiful stuff that goes on, and a lot of crazy that goes on. Everyone’s motives for helping and needing help are different, and they sometimes can create very intense situations.”
Director Joanie McBrien says of the show: “Forgiveness is a virtue that we all embrace – isn’t it always better to forgive? Certainly there are dozens of eloquent arguments and phrases that support this belief. From the biblical “turn the other cheek”, Shakespeare’s famous “the quality of mercy is not strained” to the simple yet handy “forgive and forget.” There is also the belief that it is healthier to embrace forgiveness, so that you let go of potentially toxic anger and resentment. Grand Concourse explores the idea of whether there are situations where it’s best to make another choice. At Shotgun Players we thrive on producing plays that ask thorny, provocative questions. Such is the case with Grand Concourse. Are we more likely to hold ourselves accountable for our actions if we are not forgiven?”
Heidi Schreck is a playwright, screenwriter, and two-time Obie Award-winning actor. Her first play Creature was produced in New York in by New Georges and Page 73 in a well-received production directed by Leigh Silverman; her second There Are No More Big Secrets, directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and was a New York Magazine and Time Out New York’s Critic’s pick. Most recently, The Long Wharf produced her dark recession-era comedy, The Consultant, which was developed at Playwrights Horizons. A former Page 73 Playwriting Fellow and Sundance artist, Heidi is currently working on commissions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and True Love Productions. She has also performed extensively at theaters such as The Public (Shakespeare in the Park), Manhattan Theatre Club, Two-Headed Calf, The Foundry, Clubbed Thumb, The Women’s Project, The Roundabout, Williamstown, Berkeley Rep and Center Theatre Group. On television, Heidi has appeared on The Good Wife, SVU, and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie, where she has also worked as a writer.
From our earliest age – when someone hurts us – we are taught to turn the other cheek. Set in an inner city soup kitchen, Grand Concourse introduces us to Shelley, a basketball playing nun, who has dedicated her life to serving others. Into the mix comes Emma, a complex and mysterious young woman who wants to make a difference. With sharp humor and brutal honesty, Grand Concourse forces us to question if some actions are unforgivable. To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, Shotgun Players presents the entire season in repertory with a core ensemble of 12 actors. Grand Concourse begins previews on July 13, Opens July 16, with an initial run through August 21 and onward as part of the repertory season through January 2017 at The Ashby Stage.
In the tradition of Dorothy Day and The Sisters of Social Service, Shelley has been running an underfunded soup kitchen for almost twenty years. And she’s wearing thin. It’s a rather hopeless place to be – serving an endless parade of people in need with very little support. Young and vibrant Emma, the kitchen’s newest volunteer, provides a boost of energy and renewed pride in doing good. Their quick friendship acts as a catalyst for Shelley, who puts her trust in Emma, overlooking some major red flags.
Playwright Heidi Schreck grew up working in soup kitchens herself – she is the child of teachers who met while running a homeless shelter. She was inspired to write a play which portrayed relationships between people brought together expressly because of their mission to help others. Says Schreck: “There’s a lot of extraordinarily beautiful stuff that goes on, and a lot of crazy that goes on. Everyone’s motives for helping and needing help are different, and they sometimes can create very intense situations.”
Director Joanie McBrien says of the show: “Forgiveness is a virtue that we all embrace – isn’t it always better to forgive? Certainly there are dozens of eloquent arguments and phrases that support this belief. From the biblical “turn the other cheek”, Shakespeare’s famous “the quality of mercy is not strained” to the simple yet handy “forgive and forget.” There is also the belief that it is healthier to embrace forgiveness, so that you let go of potentially toxic anger and resentment. Grand Concourse explores the idea of whether there are situations where it’s best to make another choice. At Shotgun Players we thrive on producing plays that ask thorny, provocative questions. Such is the case with Grand Concourse. Are we more likely to hold ourselves accountable for our actions if we are not forgiven?”
Heidi Schreck is a playwright, screenwriter, and two-time Obie Award-winning actor. Her first play Creature was produced in New York in by New Georges and Page 73 in a well-received production directed by Leigh Silverman; her second There Are No More Big Secrets, directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and was a New York Magazine and Time Out New York’s Critic’s pick. Most recently, The Long Wharf produced her dark recession-era comedy, The Consultant, which was developed at Playwrights Horizons. A former Page 73 Playwriting Fellow and Sundance artist, Heidi is currently working on commissions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and True Love Productions. She has also performed extensively at theaters such as The Public (Shakespeare in the Park), Manhattan Theatre Club, Two-Headed Calf, The Foundry, Clubbed Thumb, The Women’s Project, The Roundabout, Williamstown, Berkeley Rep and Center Theatre Group. On television, Heidi has appeared on The Good Wife, SVU, and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie, where she has also worked as a writer.
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In the tradition of Dorothy Day and The Sisters of Social Service, Shelley has been running an underfunded soup kitchen for almost twenty years. And she’s wearing thin. It’s a rather hopeless place to be – serving an endless parade of people in need with very little support. Young and vibrant Emma, the kitchen’s newest volunteer, provides a boost of energy and renewed pride in doing good. Their quick friendship acts as a catalyst for Shelley, who puts her trust in Emma, overlooking some major red flags.
Playwright Heidi Schreck grew up working in soup kitchens herself – she is the child of teachers who met while running a homeless shelter. She was inspired to write a play which portrayed relationships between people brought together expressly because of their mission to help others. Says Schreck: “There’s a lot of extraordinarily beautiful stuff that goes on, and a lot of crazy that goes on. Everyone’s motives for helping and needing help are different, and they sometimes can create very intense situations.”
Director Joanie McBrien says of the show: “Forgiveness is a virtue that we all embrace – isn’t it always better to forgive? Certainly there are dozens of eloquent arguments and phrases that support this belief. From the biblical “turn the other cheek”, Shakespeare’s famous “the quality of mercy is not strained” to the simple yet handy “forgive and forget.” There is also the belief that it is healthier to embrace forgiveness, so that you let go of potentially toxic anger and resentment. Grand Concourse explores the idea of whether there are situations where it’s best to make another choice. At Shotgun Players we thrive on producing plays that ask thorny, provocative questions. Such is the case with Grand Concourse. Are we more likely to hold ourselves accountable for our actions if we are not forgiven?”
Heidi Schreck is a playwright, screenwriter, and two-time Obie Award-winning actor. Her first play Creature was produced in New York in by New Georges and Page 73 in a well-received production directed by Leigh Silverman; her second There Are No More Big Secrets, directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, and was a New York Magazine and Time Out New York’s Critic’s pick. Most recently, The Long Wharf produced her dark recession-era comedy, The Consultant, which was developed at Playwrights Horizons. A former Page 73 Playwriting Fellow and Sundance artist, Heidi is currently working on commissions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation, and True Love Productions. She has also performed extensively at theaters such as The Public (Shakespeare in the Park), Manhattan Theatre Club, Two-Headed Calf, The Foundry, Clubbed Thumb, The Women’s Project, The Roundabout, Williamstown, Berkeley Rep and Center Theatre Group. On television, Heidi has appeared on The Good Wife, SVU, and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie, where she has also worked as a writer.
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