Meadow Brook Theatre will present an off-Broadway play, “White’s Lies,” Jan. 9 to Feb. 3.

The comedy is written by Ben Andron and produced by Aaron Grant.

“We are the first theater in the country to do ‘White’s Lies’ since its off-Broadway run in 2010,” said Cheryl Marshall, managing director at Meadow Brook Theatre. “The playwright is actually making some adjustments for the Meadow Brook show.”

Marshall said both Andron and Grant will attend.

The story

“White’s Lies” centers on Joe White, a divorce attorney and womanizer representing one of his many girlfriends in a case. His mother, who desperately wants him to start a family, tells him she has a is going to die soon. Her dying wish is to have grandchildren, but Joe, the womanizer, is not ready to settle down. To make his mother happy, he pretends to have a family — one of “White’s Lies.”

Katie Hardy, a 2009 Oakland University alumna, will play Joe’s pretend-daughter Michele Edwards.

“This play is almost a sitcom,” Hardy said. “It’s fun and it’s different.” She compared it to the TV show “How I Met Your Mother.”

Acting as a career

Hardy received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from OU and has been between New York and Michigan since her graduation.

“I work at Meadow Brook pretty extensively, which has been great,” Hardy said. “It’s almost hard to work anywhere else when you’ve been so spoiled at MBT.”

Hardy stayed in New York for a few months for auditions and said the lifestyle just never  clicked for her.

“It sounds so silly, but I’m used to having a car so simple things like getting coffee in the morning or running other errands becomes such an adventure.” Hardy said of her stay in New York.

“You have to plan your whole day around the subway, and once you leave in the morning, you feel like you might as well stay out the whole day,” she said.

Hardy has been acting since she was nine years old.

“I was doing gymnastics, and I guess I was OK at it but not great. One of the gymnastic coaches said to my mom, ‘You know, she’ll probably never be a great gymnast but man does she ever go out there and sell her routines. Maybe you should have her go and do acting,’” Hardy said. “My mom took me to the community theatre, they were putting on ‘Annie.’ I auditioned, and after that, I was hooked.”

Hardy has previously portrayed Jo in the stage play “Little Women,” and hopes to portray Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.”

She has also taught theatre camps at The Detroit Zoo and The Community House in Birmingham.

Preparing for ‘White’s Lies’ 

Rehearsals for “White’s Lies” started Dec. 18. Hardy said that as opening day approaches, rehearsals are longer, usually running for six or seven hours a day, Tuesday through Sunday.

Hardy said the play is almost a bedroom farce, and it has a lot of funny jokes.

“In January, it’s always good to laugh and have a good time, especially after the Christmas bills come in,” Marshall said.

 

Contact Multimedia Reporter Misha Mayhand via email at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @MishaMayhand