Swimming in the Shallows

Gay weddings & heterosexual marriages in a cross-species romance that means never having to say you're sushi!

Salem Theatre Company is excited to announce their production of Swimming in the Shallows, a quirky comedy by Canadian playwright Adam Bock, which will begin previews on Thursday March 8 and open on Saturday, March 10 for a four-week run at the STC Theater at 90 Lafayette Street in downtown Salem.

Swimming in the Shallows is the absurdly touching story of three couples trying to find their way. Barb and Bob are happily married, but when Barb finds out that Buddhist monks in Thailand only own eight things, she wonders if she should do the same. She starts giving away her possessions but Bob keeps buying her new ones. Donna wants Carla Carla to marry her, but Carla Carla doesn't like that Donna smokes – will she quit? Nick meets a cute shark at the aquarium -- they go on a date to the beach and Nick tries not to sleep with the shark too fast. Plus dream sequences. Plus a wedding. Filled with highly-idiosyncratic characters and uproarious situations, Bock traverses a contemporary world of gay weddings, heterosexual marriages, and American capitalism.

The production is sponsored by Thomas Leahey of Arlington, VA and Beverly Cooperative Bank.

The New York Times called it “[A] screwy little jewel of a play . . . It's as unconventional a conventional look at love as you'll find.” Variety says "Bock tells his fairy tale in a surreal idiom that shows wit and imagination. Working with a loose-limbed structure of episodic scenes, [he] focuses on cute characters caught up in winsome gay love stories deriving considerable charm from their oddball humor."

“Name Your Own Ticket Price” preview performances are scheduled for Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. The production will open on Saturday March 10 and run through March 31 on Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. at the STC Theater, 90 Lafayette Street, Salem. Tickets are available online at www.salemtheatre.com or can be reserved for pick up at the box office by calling 978-790-8546 or emailing info@salemtheatre.com. Online ticketing ends 24 hours in advance of each performance. Ticket prices are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $12 for students.