Westport Country Playhouse Hosts 'Script in Hand' Playreading Next Month

News release from Westport Country Playhouse:

WESTPORT, CT — Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of “The Goldsmith,” based on a family’s true stories of their gold jewelry passing across borders, cultures, and generations, on Monday, February 9, at 7 p.m. The solo play is written and performed by Broadway actress Sharone Sayegh and is the winner of Theatre Aspen’s 2025 Solo Flight Festival.

“’The Goldsmith’ is a beautiful exploration of identity, family, faith, and culture - deeply insightful, wonderfully funny, and brilliantly performed,” said Mark Shanahan, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director and curator of the Script in Hand playreading series. “I’m thrilled to present ‘The Goldsmith’ to our Script in Hand audience - and especially excited that it marks our very first solo show in the series.”

“The Goldsmith” stems from Sayegh’s true love story as a first-generation American. Told through the stories of gold jewelry passed down through her family, from Iraq to Israel to America, Sayegh wrestles with identity, belonging, multiplicity of self, and acceptance. This solo play moves, surprises, and inspires the audience to investigate the stories and legacies with which we adorn ourselves throughout our lives across borders, cultures, and generations.

Sharone Sayegh is a multi-disciplinary theater artist. She appeared at the Playhouse in “The 39 Steps” and “A Sherlock Carol,” as well as Script in Hand playreadings. As an actor, she recently played Maxine Dean/Juno in “Beetlejuice” on Broadway, played Bonnie in “Come from Away,” originated the role of Anna in “The Band’s Visit” (OBC), and made her Broadway debut in “Mamma Mia!.” She has performed, written, directed, and produced Off-Broadway and regionally, having worked at some of the country’s most prestigious theaters including The Atlantic, Playwrights Horizons, Ars Nova, La Jolla Playhouse, Prospect Theater Co, and The Muny. Sayegh has appeared on television in “Law & Order,” “Instinct,” and “Limitless.” She is a 2024 ‘The Workshop’ fellow and co-writer of the new musical “The Game Boy.” Insta: @sharonesayegh; www.sharonesayegh.com

“When we presented a workshop reading of ‘The Goldsmith’ to a small crowd in the Playhouse’s Barnstormer Series last summer, the audience response was immediate and enthusiastic,” said Shanahan. “Our patrons enthusiastically requested we share it again with a wider audience.”

Sayegh noted that last year’s Playhouse workshop was “an early and integral part of the play's developmental journey, propelling us to receive great acclaim at other theaters,” most recently winning Theatre Aspen's Solo Play Festival and a theatrical production grant from Reboot Studios.

“This play has proven to strike a deep chord with people of all backgrounds who resonate with the first-generation experience, and the family dynamics and legacies we all carry throughout our lives,” Sayegh added.

Director Zachary Prince directed and co-developed actor/comedian Stephen Brower’s “Palatable Gay Robot” which recently completed a successful North American Tour. As an actor, Prince’s Broadway credits include: “Mother Play,” “Honeymoon in Vegas,” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Baby It’s You”; Off-Broadway: “The Last Five Years”; International: “An American in Paris”; National Tour:

“Jersey Boys.” Insta: @zachyprince; www.zacharyprince.com

Sound composition and music arrangements are by Avi Amon.

Tickets are $35. Running time is 75 minutes, no intermission. An audience talkback with Sayegh and Prince will follow the performance.

For full details, visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/script-in-hand-february/

The 2026 Script in Hand Playreading Series is supported by Joyce Hergenhan and the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation. 2026 Programming and Season Sponsor is Barbara Streicker. Media sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

The Script in Hand 2026 season continues on Mondays at 7 p.m., on March 2, May 4, June 8, September 14, October 5, and November 30; titles to be announced. Subscriptions to the Script in Hand series are available as well as single tickets.

Script in Hand playreadings offer intimate storytelling as professional actors use their skills to catapult the audience’s imagination without benefit of scenery or costumes. For a video on Script in Hand, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2eWDaF-JXA

A complete schedule of Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), Instagram (wcplayhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport.