“Simona’s Search” has its world premiere at Hartford Stage, Jan. 18 to Feb. 11. Playwright Martin Zimmerman, best known for his Netflix series “Ozark,” and director Melia Bensussen had intended to premiere the work during Bensussen’s first season in Hartford, but the in-production drama was shut down by the pandemic. Finally, this gripping story, about a daughter who searches for her father’s past, is revealed in Hartford. The three-person cast includes Christopher Bannow as Jake (and other roles), Alejandra Escalante as Simona, and Al Rodrigo as Papi (and other roles). Escalante previously played Simona in the virtual reading of “Simona’s Search” as part of the 2021 American Voices New Play Festival, a celebration of Latino and Hispanic playwrights. Both Bannow and Escalante are making their Hartford Stage debuts For details: www.hartfordstage.org. Zimmerman was interviewed on Westfield Community Programming’s ArtsBeat: bit.ly/rp25kn.
“The Importance of Being Earnest,” Sir Oscar Wilde’s Victorian masterpiece about marriage, morality and mistaken identity, opens the New Year at West Springfield’s Majestic Theater through Feb. 11. Rand Foerster directs, and the cast features Myka Plunkett and Rylan Morsbach. For details: www.majestictheater.com.
