Merrimack Repertory Theatre set for The Voice of the Turtle

The Voice of the Turtle, written by John Van Druten is a lovely, fresh and surprisingly-modern 1943 romantic comedy about single life and sexual yearning in wartime Manhattan. A serviceman on leave finds himself without a date or a place to stay, only to accidentally arrive at the apartment of a wide-eyed young actress. Directed by MRT audience favorite Carl Forsman, at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, January 5 - January 29, 2012.

The cast of The Voice of the Turtle features Hanley Smith (Sally Middleton), Megan Byrne (Olive Lashbrooke) and William Connell (Bill Page), all in their MRT debuts. OBIE Award winner Carl Forsman returns to MRT for a fourth time, have previously directed Heroes, The Breadwinner, and Beasley's Christmas Party. The creative team for The Voice of the Turtle is IRNE-Winner Bill Clarke (Scenic Design), Theresa Squire (Costume Design) and Josh Bradford (Lighting Design).

"Voice of the Turtle was one of the plays that put my NY theater, Keen Company, on the map," director Carl Forsman recounts. "It's one of my favorite plays I've ever directed, and I am so excited to be directing this production at my favorite home away from home, MRT. In 2001, my theater produced Voice of the Turtle. Our original production opened on Sept. 9, 2001. Like all the NY theaters, we did what the mayor asked, and reopened on Sept. 14th. Our theater was on 24th Street, and the city was shut down below 14th street. When we performed that night, there was literally smoke in the theater. Suddenly, our romance about a soldier about to deploy in World War II who has a romance with an actress seemed like a very important story.

"I still think it is the most deft American romance ever told - full of feeling and humor and loads of heart and charm. But I also know that its secret power is that it reminds everyone that our chances for love are stuck in small moments, and we have to seize our chances when they come, because the future is uncertain. I can't wait to share this beautiful play with the Lowell community. Voice of the Turtle is still one of the longest-running plays in Broadway history, and with good reason: it's simply a beautiful story, beautifully told."

Playwright John Van Druten (1901-1957) was born in London and originally practiced law before pursuing a career as a writer. He enjoyed tremendous success in the West End in the 1920's & 30's with Young Woodley, Diversion, After All, London Wall, There's Always Juliet, Somebody Knows, Behold, We Live, and Flowers of the Forest. He later moved to America and wrote one of his most successful works, The Voice of the Turtle. He directed the Broadway production, which ran for 1,558 performances from 1943-47, making it the 9th longest-running play in Broadway history. Van Druten also directed the first production of The King and I in 1951, which ran for 1,246 performances on Broadway. He also published two novels, Young Woodley and The Vicarious Years, and two autobiographies, The Way to the Present and The Widening Circle: Personal Search.

Subscriptions and individual tickets are available online at MerrimackRep.org or by calling 978-654-4MRT.

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