Family Pool Productions presents Unlikely Heroes, a new play by first time playwright Dr. Charles Gluck January 28 – February 21, 2016 at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center in Boca Raton. “Unlikely Heroes is a play about circumstance and dynamics,” explains Gluck. “It speaks to the fragility of stability and the delicate nature of ‘normal’ familial relationships. It’s a play about family – a dysfunctional family – but I don’t know any that aren’t to some degree,” he continues. “They’re living very happily until an event occurs which could undermine and ultimately fracture the already tenuous ties that bind them together. And everyone is changed forever. And there are characters in the play you wouldn’t expect to rise and really stand up and take control of this situation, and those are my Unlikely Heroes.”
Although the Unlikely Heroes addresses a number of serious subjects – fractured relationships versus family ties and major health issues among other things – there are numerous lighter moments interspersed throughout the play, and Dr. Gluck’s unique background played an integral part in the formation of the family and characters who populate the production: “This is my first play and it has been an amazing ride for me,” he explains. But this isn’t the first time I’ve had anything to do with show business. In my previous life I was a Gastroenterologist. And soon after I went into practice, I started doing stand-up comedy. I did that for about ten or twelve years, and I always loved to write. I’ve been a story-teller my whole life, and I’ve been a theatre nut my whole life. And my dream always was, when I got out of Medicine, that I’d move into play writing. Unlikely Heroes has been a perfect vehicle for me to integrate comedy and drama because for me, the combination of being a physician and being a stand-up comedian was very organic.”
The production will be directed by Avi Hoffman, whose recent performance as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman for the New Yiddish Rep at Off Broadway’s Castillo Theatre won consistently rave reviews. “The way that this came about was that I was approached by Charles Gluck after a reading I did for (producer/director) Joe Adler at Gable Stage in Coral Gables,” director Hoffman explains. “He told me he had written a play – apparently his first play – and asked me if I would be willing to read it and give him my honest opinion. And I did! And here we are, three and a half years later, working on the world premiere of this play, with the most incredible cast I could ever have dreamed of. “And what I love most about Unlikely Heroes is even though the play is so serious – it has some seriously funny moments!” he continues. “Only really great plays can mix that comedy and drama together in such a wonderful and integrated way.” Hoffman will also act in the production, and will be joined by local actors: Patti Gardner, Robert Johnston, Margot Moreland, Kim Ostrenko, and Michael H. Small.
Unlikely Heroes will run from January 28th through February 21st at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center (2nd Floor). The theatre is located at 201 Plaza Real in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park (opposite Lord & Taylor). Tickets for Unlikely Heroes are $35 (plus $4.50 S/C). Excellent group rates (10 or more) are also available at 828-536-0963. Performances days and times are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets for Unlikely Heroes can be purchased on line at www.UnlikelyHeroesPlay.com, or by phone at 800-595-4849.
