A Bright Room Called Day is the haunting story of a group of artists struggling to preserve themselves in 1930s Berlin as the Weimar Republic falls to its knees. The play transcends historical drama as we witness the outpourings of a contemporary New York woman who is morally outraged at the United States government of today. The play is, like Angels in America, a genre-defying mixture of literate comedy, serious drama, and political-philosophical meditation.

In commemoration of what would have been Elizabeth Taylor’s 80th birthday on February 27, The Ringwald Theatre is set to celebrate her life and one of her best-known roles in February! You’ve never seen Elizabeth Taylor celebrated until you see how The Ringwald celebrates her!

First up: In the World Premiere of Elizabeth the Beautiful by Kim Carney, we find Elizabeth recovering from back surgery in an elegant Virginia hotel in 1978. After a near-fatal encounter with a chicken bone, she is visited by her ex-ex-husband Richard Burton-or is she? Is he merely a figment of her unconscious mind? During this visit, Burton ushers in notable figures from her past, all with the purpose of teaching her a very valuable lesson about where her life is headed. Elizabeth the Beautiful is a funny, outlandish, and ultimately touching valentine to Ms. Taylor’s life. Starring Joe Bailey as Elizabeth Taylor, Mike McGettigan as Richard Burton, and Patrick O’Connor Cronin as Everybody Else. Directed by Bryan Lark, Elizabeth the Beautiful will open Friday, February 17, 2012 at 8:00PM.

Opening one week later will be a campy rendition of Tennessee Williams masterpiece, Suddenly, Last Summer. The sordid tale of Catharine Holly (famously played by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1959 movie adaptation, here played by Marke Sobolewski) and her cousin Sebastian whose life meets an unseemly end when they are vacationing together in Cabeza de Lobo. Will Catharine get to tell what really happened before Sebastian’s mother (played by Lauren Bickers) follows through with her threats to have Catharine lobotomized? Suddenly, Last Summer also features Mikey Brown, Carrie Lynn Hall, Vince Kelley, Genevieve Jona, Anne Faba and is directed by Joe Plambeck. It will open Friday, February 24, 2012 at 8:00PM.

The two shows will run in repertory through March 12. Ticket prices are $20.00 for 8pm Friday and Saturday performances, $15 for 3pm Sunday shows, and Monday nights at 8pm are HALF OFF the original ticket price at only $10 a ticket. Tickets can be purchased at www.TheRingwald.com or at the theatre box office. The Ringwald box office opens 45 minutes before performances and tickets can be purchased with cash or Visa/Mastercard.