NOTE (Thursday, February 25, 2021): This press release has been edited to reflect the extension of "Same Time, Next Year" for a second weekend.

* * * * *

STAMFORD — When a one night stand turns into a 25-year relationship you have, as The New York Times said about Same Time, Next Year, “…the funniest comedy about love and adultery to come Broadway’s way in years.” Curtain Call is opening 2021 with this Drama Desk Award-winner in the Kweskin Theatre beginning February 25.

Starring in the limited-run production are Newtown residents Paul and Sophie Tiesler, who have both performed at Curtain Call but never together.

“It’s so special to have the ultimate trust in your scene partner,” said Sophie. “It just adds a level of authenticity and intimacy that is so rarely achieved.”

Her husband agreed, adding, “It’s a real treat to get to ‘play’ with your better half. It’s quite fun to randomly run lines in the midst of day-to-day life.”

Playing opposite a spouse is not uncommon, nor is it without its challenges. Sophie points out, “The only downside is Paul has to deal with me being a little bossy about lines! Sometimes I get carried away because he’s my husband, so I need to be more respectful and patient.”

Paul again agreed, saying, “The biggest challenge is recognizing you still need to separate the two a bit — ie, this is my scene partner, not my wife, and vice versa.”

Same Time, Next Year is one of the most popular romantic comedies of the 20th Century. It ran for four years on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for lead actress Ellen Burstyn, and provides a nostalgic, touching, funny and often poignant look at 25 years of American culture through the lives of two lovers — George and Doris — who meet once a year for a romantic weekend.

During the past 10 months, Curtain Call Executive Director Lou Ursone has read dozens of two-person shows, looking for the best fit “to suit our special needs right now.

“I kept coming back to one of my favorites, Same Time, Next Year,” he added. “I happen to like the show a lot. There are lots of laughs and some very moving moments as we see these characters evolve over the course of 25 years.”

Ursone said that the company’s best chance to create “any kind of programming” during the COVID-19 pandemic is to pick “small-cast shows like this — and The Gin Game, which we did last fall — using actors who live together. Luckily, I’ve worked with many great actor couples over the years, so casting these shows is not that difficult.”

To keep cast and crew as safe as possible, in-person rehearsals have been limited, but will increase as the production draws nearer.

The Tieslers have arranged their living room to match the set. They have also done “a lot of Zoom rehearsals,” Sophie said, adding, “when we are in the theater, it’s just Paul and me, and our director and stage manager, and both couples quarantine together so it’s absolutely the safest possible production we could be working on.”

Directing this production is Richard Mancini, who directed last season’s Cactus Flower and many other productions at Curtain Call.

“We’re really excited to be able to do a live show for a live audience at a time when most local theater can’t because their houses aren’t large enough to accommodate a safely distanced audience,” Mancini said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better couple to work with,” he added.

Performances of Same Time, Next Year will be Thursday, February 25, at 8 pm; Fridays and Saturdays, February 26-27 and March 5-6, also at 8 pm; and Sundays, February 28 and March 7, at 2 pm.

The play will be presented without intermission to avoid restroom lines. Patrons will be seated six feet apart side-to-side, utilizing every other row of the theatre. Total occupancy will be about 50 patrons.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for senior citizens, and $20 for children. Thrifty Thursday tickets are $27.50.

Contact the box office at 203-461-6358 or visit curtaincallinc.com for reservations or additional information.

Same Time, Next Year is being presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals in cooperation with the city of Stamford. Additional support is provided through the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Curtain Call is the nonprofit, community-based theater company in residence at the Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue.