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The Roundtable

Roundabout Theatre Company presents "Birthday Candles" on Broadway - interviews with actor Debra Messing and playwright Noah Haidle

By Sarah LaDuke

Published April 7, 2022 at 11:30 AM EDT

Debra Messing in Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Noah Haidle's Birthday Candles (dir. Vivienne Benesch)

The new play “Birthday Candles,” written by Noah Haidle and directed by Vivienne Benesch is currently in previews on Broadway, produced by Roundabout Theatre Company and running at The American Airlines Theatre. Opening night is April 10.

Debra Messing stars as Ernestine Ashworth. A woman on the cusp of adulthood as the play begins, she ages 90 years onstage, from 17 to 107. Each scene finds her on another birthday assessing her life and choices.

Debra Messing is an Emmy Award-winning actress, producer, and social justice & human rights advocate. She’s best known for her Emmy & SAG Award-winning role as “Grace” on NBC’s “Will & Grace” and starred in “The Mysteries of Laura,” and “SMASH,” both on NBC. Notable film credits include the award-winning “Searching,” “Along Came Polly,” “The Wedding Date” “Nothing Like The Holidays,” “The Women,” and most recently, “The Dark Divide.” Messing has been honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Women In Film’s Lucy Award, and The Gracie Allen Award, American Comedy Award. She last starred on Broadway in John Patrick Shanley’s Tony Award-nominated, “Outside Mullingar.”

Noah Haidle’s plays have been produced all over the world. He is a proud board member of the Detroit Public Theatre, where Birthday Candles was commissioned and first produced.

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The Roundtable theater actor broadway playwright roundabout theatre company birthday our town debra messing noah haidle

Sarah LaDuke

Sarah has been a public radio producer for over fifteen years. She grew up in Saranac Lake, New York where she worked part-time at Pendragon Theatre all through high school and college. She graduated from UAlbany in 2006 with a BA in English and started at WAMC a few weeks later as a part-time board-op in the control room. Through a series of offered and seized opportunities she is now the Senior Contributing Producer of The Roundtable and Producer of The Book Show. During the main thrust of the Covid-19 pandemic shut-down, Sarah hosted a live Instagram interview program "A Face for Radio Video Series." On it, Sarah spoke with actors, musicians, comedians, and artists about the creative activities they were accomplishing and/or missing.

See stories by Sarah LaDuke

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