Theatre at Sea - Regent Luxury Cruises

The Theatre Guild

Formed in 1919 by Theresa Helburn, Lawrence Langner, and Armina Marshall, the stars of the Theatre Guild include contemporaries such as Jane Fonda, Uta Hagen, Anne Jackson, Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman, Eli Wallach, and Joanne Woodward - honored by the legacy of Lunt and Fontanne, Katherine Hepburn, Ina Claire, Alfred Drake, Lillian Gish, John Guilgud, Helen Hayes, Judy Holiday, Walter Matthau and so many more.

The Theatre Guild produced 228 plays on Broadway, including 18 of George Bernard Shaw's plays, five of which were world premieres, and seven by Eugene O'Neill. Other important playwrights, including Robert Sherwood, Maxwell Anderson, Sidney Howard, William Saroyan, and Philip Barry were introduced to the theatre-going public by the Guild. In the musical field, The Garrick Gaities introduced Rodgers and Hart; Gershwin's Porgy and Bess was originally produced by the Guild, along with the landmark original productions of Rodgers and Hammersteins's Oklahoma! and Carousel, Julie Styne's Bells Are Ringing and Meredith Wilson's The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

The Theatre Guild was engaged by the State Department under President John F. Kennedy to assemble a U.S. Theatre company to tour the capitals of Europe and South America. This company, headed by Helen Hayes, performed in some 25 world capitals presenting works of three of America's finest playwrights: Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, and William Gibson.

In 1968 The Theatre Guild entered the travel field- taking 25 of its subscribers to European capitals to see plays. And in 1975 its famed Theatre At Sea cruises began with a 17 day cruise on the Rotterdam starring Helen Hayes, and Cyril Ritchard.

Since then the Theatre Guild has presented 30 Theatre At Sea Cruises always with 7 or 8 stars performing on board. Stars have included such verstile actors as Alan Arkin, Zoe Caldwell, John Davidson, Sandy Duncan, Ben Gazzara, Rosemary Harris, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Helen Hayes, Anne Jackson, Cherry Jones, Richard Kiley, Eartha Kitt, Mary Martin, Roddy McDowall, Patrice Munsel, Patricia Neal, Jane Powell, Lee Roy Reams, Lynn Redgrave, Cliff Robertson, Gena Rowlands, Jean Stapleton, Leslie Uggams, Eli Wallach, and more.

Theatre Guild Productions

In recent years the Theatre Guild has presented a number of plays on Broadway and throughout the country, including Rodgers and Hammerstein's STATE FAIR, Jean Stapleton in ELEANOR- HER SECRET JOURNEY, STEIGLITZ LOVES O'KEEFFE, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, and more.

Our most recent play:

A Picasso

Starring Dennis Boutsikaris and Jill Eikenberry.

This is a new play by Jeffrey Hatcher about the famous Spanish/French painter who is called during the German occupation of Paris to publicly burn some of his "decadent" paintings. But the Gestapo agent in charge is a beautiful German woman! Will they make war or love? Played New York City Centre at 131 West 55th Street from March 29th to June 1st, 2005.

The Producers

Marilyn C. Langner is the producer of the Theatre Guild's annual Theatre at Sea cruise. In addition to acting on Broadway, in major films, and in television shows, Marilyn Langner has distinguished herself in the fields of writing and producing. She starred on Broadway under the stage name Marilyn Clark for a year in the role of Jane Hopcroft in the Theatre Guild's production of "Absurd Person Singular."

She also appeared in the Tyrone Guthrie all-star revival of "Dinner at Eight", "Middle of the Night" with Edward G. Robinson, "The Seven Year Itch" with Tom Ewell, and with Anthony Perkins and Mia Farrow in "Romantic Comedy". Her film career includes roles in four pictures by John Cassavetes: "A Child is Waiting", "Too Late Blues", "Faces", and "Husbands". She also appeared in "Slaves", produced by the Theatre Guild, and "The Swimmer".

Philip Langner is the codirector of the Theatre Guild, and has a long career in the legitimate theatre as well as motion pictures. His affiliation with the Theatre Guild goes back some 40 years, during which time the Guild produced such memorable hits as "Picnic", "A Majority of One", "Bells are Ringing", "Sunrise at Campobello", "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", "The Homecoming", and many others. More recent productions include "Eleanor: Her Secret Journey", "State Fair", "Absurd Person Singular", and "Golda" starring Anne Bancroft.

In the motion picture field, Mr. Langner organized Theatre Guild Films in 1960 to produce films of quality. He was the producer or co-producer of five motion pictures: "The Pawnbroker", "Slaves", "Judgement at Nuremberg", "A Child is Waiting", and "Born to Win". Mr. Langner and his partner, Marilyn Langner, have produced more than 30 theatre cruises throughout the world, starring distinguished actors and directors. Mr. Langner is a member of the League of American Theatres and Producers, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is president of Theatre at Sea.

Theatre at Sea, Inc. | 135 Central Park West, Ste 4S, New York, NY 10023
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