MARBLEHEAD, MA: The award-winning Mugford Street Players will present their first production of their 30th season, Ronald Harwood's "The Dresser," for six performances beginning Friday, March 11, in the Marblehead High School auditorium, 2 Humphrey Street.

"The Dresser" - called "a funny and touching tribute to the power of the theatre and the human spirit during a time of strife" - will be performed March 11 through 20, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $20 general admission, $14 students and seniors and may be reserved by calling 781-639-0195.

Set during the darkest days of "the Blitz" - when Britain stood alone against Hitler in 1940 and sustained night after night of relentless air attacks  - "The Dresser" shines an often comic light on people's struggles to "carry on" and persevere in the face of great hardship.

"The Dresser" focuses on a touring repertory company that is attempting to mount the great Shakespearean tragedies in a provincial city as real-life tragedy - the falling bombs, destruction and death - surrounds them and their audience.  In particular, the play examines the complicated relationship between Sir, the company's veteran actor-manager, and Norman, his devoted "dresser," who flatters, coaxes, and cajoles Sir onto the stage each night to fulfill his artistic mission.  As he undertakes his 227th performance as King Lear, Sir's struggle to muster the courage and determination to "go on" mirrors that of his nation.

Produced, directed and designed by Mugford Street Players (MSP) artistic director John Fogle, "The Dresser" features a cast of talented and well-known actors from the region: Jim Butterfield, Janet Dauray, and Dave Rich of Marblehead; Mark Soucy of Wilmington; Jim Robinson and Pauline Wright of Lynn; Kristine Burke and Don Callahan of Salem; Bob Stewart of Manchester-by-the-Sea; Craig Owen of Georgetown; and Shawn Maguire of Reading.

The playwright, Ronald Harwood, is one of Britain's leading writers for the stage ("Taking Sides") and film ("The Pianist," "Being Julia").   He once served as dresser to Sir Donald Wolfit, who spent many years as the actor-manager of a British touring company during the middle of the 20th century.   "The Dresser" premiered to acclaim on Broadway in 1981 and was made into a 1983 film starring Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney.

MSP's production of "The Dresser" is dedicated to the memory of Michael Louden.   A native of Marblehead, Louden starred as Alan Strang in MSP's 1981 production of "Equus" when he was still a high school student at St. John's Prep.  He later studied acting at The Juilliard School and pursued a professional career in New York and Hollywood before his death in September 2004 at the age of 40.

An activity of InterActing, Inc., the Mugford Street Players has consistently presented plays that traditional community theatres rarely tackle, including "Hamlet," "True West," "The Lady's Not For Burning," "Duet for One," "No Man's Land," "The Diary of a Madman," "The Beauty Queen of Leenane," "Our Country's Good" and "The Weir," as well as "Equus."  This coming summer, MSP will present Alan Bennett's adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic tale "The Wind in the Willows," July 29 through August 7, 2005, at Marblehead High School.

MSP has been recognized for excellence by the New England Theatre Conference (NETC), the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres (EMACT), and the New England Regional Theatre Festival.  It has won numerous awards for best actress, best actor, best production, and runner-up to best production.  It has performed across New England and toured the United Kingdom, performing at National Trust estates.  In April 2004, MSP participated by invitation in the Boston Theatre Marathon, the only "community theatre" alongside top regional professional theatre organizations.

For more information about MSP, please visit www.mugfordstreet.com.