Performances begin February 14 for Arin Arbus’ new staging of The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. Arbus directs a cast of 35, including 17 professional actors—led by Kecia Lewis, Mary Wiseman, and David Rasche—and an ensemble of 18 artists, musicians, and teachers.
The Skin of Our Teeth will officially open February 28. Performances take place at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, located at 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, and are scheduled to run through March 19.
The production marks the first major New York staging of the play since 1998. Written just before America entered World War II, The Skin of Our Teeth premiered in 1942 on Broadway and won Wilder his second Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play centers on the modern-looking Antrobus family and their maid, Sabina, who survive many disasters—including the Ice Age, Noah's flood, war and famine—and are always able to start over and begin anew.
The principal cast also includes Reynaldo Piniella, Kimber Monroe, Austin Reed Alleman, Andrew R. Butler, Fred Epstein, Eric Farber, Arthur French, Max Gordon, Robert Langdon Lloyd, Sam Morales, Mary Lou Rosato, Jessie Shelton, Storm Thomas, and William Youmans.
The production features a set by Riccardo Hernandez, costume and puppet design by Cait O’Connor, lighting design by Marcus Doshi, sound design by Stowe Nelson, projection design by Peter Nigrini, fight direction by J. Allen Suddeth, and hair, wig, and makeup design by Dave Bova. César Alvarez (An Octoroon, Futurity) has composed original incidental music and several songs, which are performed live with onstage musicians and choreography by Sonya Tayeh.
Tickets can be purchased at TAFNA.org, by calling (866) 811-4111 and at the Polonsky Shakespeare Center box office in Brooklyn.