Boots on the Ground Theater Launches Its New Season with Terrence McNally's 'It's Only a Play'

Kicking off its fall season at the Southampton Cultural Center on October 18, Boots on the Ground Theater (BOTGT) will take on playwright Terrence McNally’s hit “It’s Only a Play.” The comedy brings the audience into a Broadway producer’s New York City apartment as he, along with actors, the director and the playwright, awaits the release of The New York Times review of their new show.

For Bonnie Grice, founder of BOTGT, producing a play by Terrence McNally — an acclaimed American playwright known for his works exploring themes of love, relationships and societal issues — is deeply personal. With a career spanning six decades, McNally won multiple Tony Awards and penned celebrated works such as “Master Class,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and the musical “Ragtime.”

He was also an East End resident with deep roots in the community.

“I knew Terrence, and I’ve known Tom [Kirdahy], his widower, for 20 some years,” Grice said. “So this is very meaningful, just personally.”

Grice believes that staging a McNally play will be equally as meaningful for the many East End residents who knew him. Just recently, someone recalled to Grice that McNally and Kirdahy used to frequently visit his bird feed store in Bridgehampton.

In his first show with BOTGT, director Bob Kaplan explained that this comedy is more about the characters — ranging from a young coat check attendant new to the business, to the producer, director and a TV actor struggling with his next career move — than the plot itself. Grice’s character is attempting a comeback after doing movies, and the lauded British director in the play is hoping for a flop just to experience failure.

By the end of Act One, the group finally receives the anticipated New York Times review, and Act Two opens with their reactions and the aftermath of reading it.

Kaplan aims to bring as much humor as possible to the performance, even at times when it’s not expected.

“This play, as it’s written, is meant to be as funny as you can make it,” Kaplan said. “So I’m trying to be truthful to the words and bring out the humor, as well as finding places where we can create humorous situations that fit in the context of the play.”

Despite this being Kaplan’s first show with BOTGT, he has known Grice for over 25 years, frequently appearing on her morning radio show when she was with WPPB-FM to promote other productions he directed locally. When Grice asked him to direct “It’s Only a Play,” Kaplan eagerly accepted.

Kaplan promises standout performances from the entire cast, which includes seasoned actors, such as Phil Epperhart, a veteran of the Hampton Theatre Company, returning to the stage after a 20-year hiatus. Throughout his 35-year directorial career on Long Island, he’s gotten to know the best of local talent. Kaplan reaches out to those he thinks would be a good fit for the part and has them audition but stops short of precasting. He prefers to see the actors in their roles first. Kaplan is collaborating closely with the actors, encouraging them to give feedback on their roles and ensuring that both visual and verbal elements enhance the humor.

“I know that actors see and feel things from the stage’s perspective that a director looking from the other side doesn’t see. So I rely on actors to give me feedback if something doesn’t feel right to them,” he said. “It may look okay from my seat, but it doesn’t feel right to them.”

Kaplan hopes the audience leaves the theater laughing and feeling lighter.

“I obviously hope they will still be laughing and feeling like they spent two hours not thinking about social strife and politics,” Kaplan said.

He added that anyone familiar with Broadway shows — or even just one — can relate to the anxiety actors and critics feel around reviews, which adds to the humor and relatability of the play.

As for standout moments of humor, Kaplan said there are countless. It’s not just about the lines the actors say, but the entire performance.

“It’s not just a play where the audience will be intently listening to what the characters are saying, but also laughing at the visual impact of all the funny things they do,” he said.

“It’s Only a Play” will be performed at the Southampton Cultural Center, 25 Pond Lane, Southampton, from October 18 to November 3. Performances are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. with an additional matinee performance on Sundays at 3 p.m. The cast includes Huck Hirsch, Phil Eberhardt, Matt O'Connor, Brandon Richard Battiste, Bonnie Grice, Eileen Trilli and Gillian Schroeder.

Tickets for the show are $35 ($25 students) and $50 for the VIP opening night performance with reception. The performance runs for one hour and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. For more information, visit bootsonthegroundtheater.com.

Upcoming Season Highlights and New Youth Program

Boots on the Ground Theater will hold auditions for “A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play” on Monday, October 28, and Tuesday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Performances will be December 6 to 15.

Also coming up for BOTGT is the play “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney, which returns this winter after a successful run last season, this time featuring celebrity couples.

Additionally, BOTGT is launching a new youth initiative called Gen C, with the “C” standing for “creative.” This program will give kids the chance to not only perform but also explore stage management, directing, and production roles. The first Gen C production will be “The Railway Children,” a beloved classic British children’s book that has inspired multiple film and TV adaptations.

In the spring, BOTGT will offer a master class for adults, featuring a renowned stage and screen actor. Looking ahead to fall of 2025, the theater is considering a production of “Clue,” though that has yet to be confirmed. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, BOTGT will also present the moving play “World War II Radio Christmas,” paying tribute to veterans and commemorating this significant milestone in history.