Adam’s latest theatrical venture, the world premiere of Tracy Thorne’s We Are Here, has its opening night tonight as the Mainstage production in Vassar’s Powerhouse Theater summer season. The show runs through July 11th. Tickets are $35.

Excerpt from “At Vassar College, Summer Is for the Stage: Tony Winners of Tomorrow Begin New Season at Poughkeepsie Company” by Pia Catton, Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2010:

Powerhouse kicks off its new season Tuesday with a new play, “We Are Here,” written by Tracy Thorne. Though the work is not a musical, the characters have a penchant for breaking into song. “It’s about a family that has a tradition of singing to each other,” Ms. Thorne said. “I wanted them to sing standards. I have chosen the songs carefully to show this is how I feel.’”

Among the selections are Cole Porter’s “I Concentrate on You” and Van Morrison’s “Moondance.”

Director Sheryl Kaller—who earned a Tony nomination this year for her direction of “Next Fall”—emphasized that the signing is about the emotional need to communicate, and is not meant to be judged on the quality of the performance. “It celebrates what people sing, not how they sing,” she said. “We didn’t even ask people if they could sing in the auditions.”

And we didn’t know until our mom told us. Yes, Adam appeared in last night’s new installment of the Law & Order: Criminal Intent saga, “The Mobster Will See You Now.” Definitely worth catching for the Adam faithful since he’s got a fairly large guest-starring role in this one and goes toe-to-toe with fellow student of Sanford Meisner Jeff Goldblum.

It’ll be airing again on Monday, June 28th at 5:00 PM on USA and can be purchased at Amazon Video on Demand for $1.99 iTunes for $1.99 ($2.99 for high-def).

THE MOBSTER WILL SEE YOU NOW (#CI9013)
EPISODE PREMIERE: June 22, 2010

Several years ago, two doctors struggled to realize their dream of owning a hospital. In order to secure financing, DR. JOEL SILVERSTEIN and DR. SHELTON SPRING were forced to turn to a friend – HENRY DI PIANO, entrepreneur and son of a renowned mob boss. Henry, in his own desire to become an honest businessman, convinced a group of retired mobsters to invest in the endeavor.

The plan worked beautifully, until one day LES TARNEY, a mid-level government official with the Department of Health and Human Resources, came to pay doctors Silverstein and Spring a visit. As it turns out, the doctors had been overcharging their patients for routine procedures. Instead of turning them in, Tarney has decided to blackmail the doctors. They complied, terrified at what will happen should their mob financiers discover the scandal. Just when all seems lost for the doctors, a miracle occurs. Les Tarney chokes on his own dinner. Unfortunately for them all, Nichols and Stevens see Tarney’s death for what it really is – murder. Before their investigation is over, more than one innocent will pay the price for their crimes.

For those of you in the Poughkeepsie area (you know who you are), Adam will once again be appearing in the world premiere of a new play as part of Vassar’s Powerhouse Mainstage series. According to playwright Tracy Thorne, We Are Here “comes from that eternal question of how we’re meant to cope with unimaginable loss and how do we get on from there.”

June 29 – July 11
We Are Here

Written by Tracy Thorne
Directed by Sheryl Kaller
Set design by Scott Bradley
Costume design by Toni-Leslie James
Lighting design by Russell H. Champa
Sound design by John Gromada

WE ARE HERE (June 29 – July 11) by actor and playwright Tracy Thorne (Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it, Building Big Buildings, Miss St. Hilda’s Junior Kindergarten), directed by Tony nominee Sheryl Kaller (Next Fall, Adrift in Macao, Dangerous Beauty), will offer a glimpse at three generations of a family possessing wit, endurance, and compassion in the face of unimaginable loss. As the joyful past and devastated present are braided together with song, young parents Billie (de’Adra Aziza) and Hal (Adam Rothenberg), together with Billie’s sister Shawn (Uzo Aduba) and their parents Everett (Larry Pine) and Vera (Adriane Lenox), search for the strength to live on.

Mainstage in the Powerhouse Theater. Tickets are $35.

Performance dates and times: June 29, 30, July 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 at 8:00pm; July 3, 10, 11, at 2:00pm. There will be a post-show discussion on Tuesday, July 6, and after the matinee on Saturday, July 10.

Powerhouse Theater, now beginning its 26th season, continues its mission to offer a haven for world-class artists to gather and explore new material in an atmosphere that is both protected and challenging. Each season Powerhouse offers its audience debuts by Pulitzer, Oscar, and Tony-winning writers, directors, and actors, and introduces its patrons to exciting emerging artists, all at affordable ticket prices.

Above: Larry Pine, Adriane Lenox, de’Adre Aziza, Uzo Aduba and Adam Rothenberg; photo by Krissie Fullerton.