Silver Spring Stage Presents 'Humble Boy'

Silver Spring Stage presents Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones, directed by Karen Fleming and produced by Malca Giblin, a comedy of physics, family, forlorn love and bees when an astrophysicist returns home to find everything upside down and as dysfunctional and entertaining as “The Big Bang Theory”. Humble Boy will perform weekends January 8 to 30, 2016.

Silver Spring Stage is located at 10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901 in the Woodmoor Shopping Center, lower level (next to the CVS) at Colesville Road and University Boulevard. Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $22 for seniors and students. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday January 17 and 24 at 2:00 PM. There will be two talk back sessions after the Sunday performances: The Soulful Gardener on January 17 and The Beekeepers of Montgomery County on January 24. Tickets can be purchased at www.ssstage.org. Information is also available by calling (301) 593-6036.

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through space and time, combined with energy and force, which aptly captures the essence of Humble Boy. Complex science, bee-keeping, and family history and relationships move artfully and energetically through a summer in a garden with witty allusions to Shakespeare’s Hamlet written with Tom Stoppard elegance. Charlotte Jones converted herself from a frustrated actress into a successful playwright. Humble Boy premiered in 2001, winning the 2001 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play and two 2001 Olivier Awards. That same year, Jones won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for English-language women playwrights. What makes Humble Boy appealing is the universal experience we all have with our families: expectations, encouragement, disappointment, and reconciliation. Humble Boy will entice and engage audiences with its intelligence and humanity.

“What I especially love about Charlotte Jones’ script is that the situations and people are so real, poignant and very funny. The humor is both universal and extremely British, whether it’s the juxtaposition between how Flora and Felix are dealing with James’ death or the other characters quirks and asides,” says director Karen Fleming. “Underneath all of the dysfunction, however, Jones shows us that the Humbles do love one another, and I find myself falling in love with this family, as I’m sure you will too.”

Felix Humble (Joseph Coracle) returns to his family home in the English countryside after learning of the sudden death of his father, James Humble. Upon returning home, he discovers that his mother, Flora Humble (Susan Holliday), has gotten rid of all of her husband’s belongings including the bees which he kept. The reunion of mother and son does not go well, particularly Flora’s resentment of Felix exiting the funeral when it was his turn for the eulogy. Felix discovers that Flora intends to marry George Pye (Bill Hurlbut), a family friend, who is also the father of Felix’s ex-girlfriend Rosie Pye (Annie Caruso). While mother and son grow more apart, Flora sends her friend Mercy Lott (Nancy Blum) to befriend Felix and snoop for her. Felix sees through the deviousness and finds the gardener Jim (Craig Miller) as the only person he can trust. Felix reunites with Rosie in momentary passion. As the summer unfolds, secrets come tumbling out as Felix tries to come to terms with the past and his future. Audiences will be buzzing about Humble Boy long after they enjoy it.

The production team includes Stan Rosen (Assistant Director), Denise Gilmore (Stage Manager), William T. Fleming (Set Design, Fight Choreographer), Bill Strein (Lighting Design), Kevin Garrett (Sound Design), Nancy Carlin (Properties), and Linda Swann (Costume Design).