Town Players Will Bring A Perfect God

To Newtown’s Little Theatre

The elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha, queller of obstacles and reconciler of opposites, is the title character of Terrence McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh, which will open at Town Players’ Little Theatre in Newtown on July 1.

In this warm and moving play, two wealthy middle-aged women travel from Connecticut to an India we see through their eyes. Each is bearing the pain of a personal tragedy; one has lost her son in a vicious gay-bashing murder and the other may have cancer. In the earthy and spiritual cultures of India they hope to find meaning.

Through a series of encounters with Ganesha, and a kaleidoscopic journey both funny and harrowing, they ultimately find the grace to accept themselves and the world.

Directed by Ruth Anne Baumgartner of Fairfield, the play is brought to life by four of Connecticut’s finest actors: Leslie Van Etten Broatch of Milford as Margaret Civil, Marguerite Foster (Seymour) as Katharine Brynne, Aaron Kaplan (Bethel) as the ubiquitous Man, and Rob Pawlikowski (Roxbury) as Ganesha.

Lauren Parrish of Newtown will stage manage and also dance the story of the god’s life.

McNally’s play, set now or very recently, was described by The New York Post as “absorbing, moving, funny, and most of all, life-assertive.” Its most sweeping theme is the “other,” the gulf between people, lifestyles, cultures, and even between friends and spouses, that seems so difficult to bridge.

Mrs Brynne’s travel book offers a simple answer: allow, accept, be — and in the process of the play the two women come to understand how to follow that advice. Ruth Anne Baumgartner calls the play “a hopeful and poetic adventure.”

Pamela Meister of Newtown is the producer of A Perfect Ganesh, Alexander Kulcsar of Fairfield is the set designer and mask-maker, Douglas Miller of Sandy Hook is the sound designer, and Rob Pawlikowski the lighting designer.

A Perfect Ganesh opens July 1 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm through July 23, with one matinee at 2 pm on Sunday, July 17.

Tickets are $15 for all of the evening performances, and $12 for the matinee.

Because of some harsh language and mature themes this production is not recommended for children.

All performances are at The Little Theatre on Orchard Hill Road, Newtown; call 270-9144.