ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Bad Dates: End Game


A WORLD-PREMIERE READING Starring Tony Award-Winner, Julie White

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 - 7:30pm

By THERESA REBECK
Directed by John Benjamin Hickey

ABOUT THE PLAY

In Bad Dates: End Game, Haley is back, and she’s as hilariously relatable as ever. This time, the post-menopausal widow is diving headfirst into the absurdities of modern dating, from disastrous Tinder encounters to awkward setups, all while rediscovering herself with sharp wit and comedic charm. Starring Broadway legend Julie White (Tony Award Winner for ‘The Little Dog Laughed’) and directed by Broadway’s John Benjamin Hickey (Tony Award Winner for ‘The Normal Heart’), this staged reading promises a first look at the same uproarious humor and heartfelt moments that originally made ‘Bad Dates’ a runaway success. Don’t miss this side-splitting exploration of resilience, self-love, and the unexpected joys of life—complete with a rescue dog and a margarita or two!


Twenty years ago, Rebeck broke the mold of Off-Broadway romantic comedies with Bad Dates, which offered a funny perspective on love, with a particular focus on the female experience. The personal journey of Haley, a recently-divorced woman navigating the world of online dating and awkward encounters, gave the genre a modern twist and portrayed women in a way that had been largely underrepresented on stage at the time. Now, Rebeck is back with a laugh-out-loud sequel and reunited with the original Haley, Julie White. Director John Benjamin Hickey joins the two in exploring a whole new time in a woman’s life. 

When the original Bad Dates debuted Off-Broadway in 2003, the New York Times hailed it as “hilarious and heartwarming.” The show was immediately met with positive reviews, quickly earning a reputation for its humor, heart, and relatable take on the messy and unpredictable world of modern romance. It has since been performed worldwide. 

The original Bad Dates has long been one of Theresa’s most popular plays, and it feels like a great honor for our Resident Playwright to be debuting the sequel right here in southern Vermont.
— Will Rucker, Executive Artistic Director

MEET THE TEAM

  • Theresa Rebeck is an Award-winning and widely produced playwright, whose work has been staged across the globe. Her most recent Broadway play I Need That (starring Danny DeVito) premiered in fall 2023 at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s American Airlines Theatre, where it broke the theater’s record for the highest-grossing week of any show, play or musical. Additional Broadway: Bernhardt/Hamlet, Dead Accounts, Seminar and Mauritius. Other notable plays include the New York Times Critics Pick Dig (which she also directed) at Primary Stages/59E59 Theaters; Mad House, which played a critically acclaimed world premiere on London’s West End starring David Harbour and Bill Pullman; Seared (MCC), Downstairs (Primary Stages), The Scene, The Water’s Edge, Loose Knit, The Family of Mann and Spike Heels (Second Stage), Bad Dates, The Butterfly Collection and Our House (Playwrights Horizons), The Understudy (Roundabout), View of the Dome (NYTW), What We’re Up Against (Women’s Project), Omnium Gatherum (Pulitzer Prize finalist). As a director, her work has been seen at The Alley Theatre (Houston), the REP Company (Delaware), Dorset Theatre Festival, the Orchard Project and the Folger Theatre. Major film and television projects include Trouble, with Anjelica Huston, Bill Pullman and David Morse (writer and director), “NYPD Blue,” the NBC series “Smash” (creator), the female spy thriller 355 (for Jessica Chastain’s production company), and her most recent film Glimpse, available for streaming now. As a novelist, Rebeck’s books include Three Girls and Their Brother and I'm Glad About You. Rebeck is the recipient of the William Inge New Voices Playwriting Award, the PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Award, and a Lilly Award. She’s currently working on a musical adaptation of Working Girl, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, which will premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in fall 2025. 

  • John Benjamin Hickey has appeared on Broadway in Love! Valour! Compassion!, Cabaret, The Crucible, Mary Stuart, The Inheritance(Tony nomination), and The Normal Heart(Tony Award). He recently directed the Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite, which also played the West End.

    His films include Lilly(upcoming), Salem’s Lot, Sublet, Pitch Perfect, Flags of Our Fathers, The Anniversary Party, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Taking of the Pelham 123, and Mapplethorpe. On TV, he was Emmy-nominated for his role on Showtime’s The Big C. Additional credits include Daredevil: Born Again, In Treatment, Manhattan, Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, Modern Family, Hannibal, Law & Order (all of them), The Good Wife and The Good Fight.

  •  Julie White’s original portrayal of Haley garnered widespread critical praise, earning her a 2004 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. White is known for her work in both television and on stage. She gained recognition for her role as Nadine Swoboda on the sitcom Grace Under Fire. White is also a Tony Award winner, having received the Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play award for her role in The Little Dog Laughed.  Additionally, she has appeared in films such as the Transformers series and Michael Clayton.Film: upcoming indies: “The Big Game”, “The Allegory”, “On the End”, “The Philosophy of Dress” as well as “Gazer”, “Sometimes I Think About Dying”,”Booger” ”Funny Pages”, ”That’s What She Said”, ”Bride Wars", "13 Going on 30", "L.I.E.", and “Angela’s Ashes” among others. 

    TV: recurring roles on “Heels”, “The Other Two”, “Time Traveler’s Wife” “Almost Family”,“OITNB,“Homeland” and “Lipstick Jungle” as well as roles on “Elsbeth” “The Blacklist”, “High Maintenance”, “Sneaky Pete”, “Divorce”, “The Big C” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Marcia has a BA in Theater Arts from UCLA

RUNTIME: TBA
BAD DATES: END GAME is produced by Dorset Theatre Festival.

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Support for the 48th season is provided by the Rodgers Family Foundation, The James H. & Irene M. Hunter Charitable Trust, and the members of the Festival’s World Premiere Circle.


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