Sara Ruhl’s Dark Comedy, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” at Cape May Stage

CAPE MAY – Have you ever been tempted just to turn your cell phone off and leave it that way? Have you been annoyed by the ringing phones of strangers? Have you ever wondered if all those voice mails and text messages that you delete really stay deleted, and if not, where they go? If any of these things ring a bell, you’ll want to get tickets for Dead Man’s Cell Phone, opening on September 10 at Cape May Stage.

Four veteran actors, who’ve appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and on television, will bring to life Sarah Ruhl’s award-winning comedy, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, at Cape May Stage, through October 9. The play, which was nominated for seven Helen Hayes awards when it premiered in Washington, D.C., will be directed by Roy Steinberg, Cape May Stage’s artistic director.

“It’s a very funny play, in a really off-center, quirky kind of way,” says Steinberg. “But it’s also a beautiful, poetic fantasy about the role of technology in our lives today. Many of the characters will not only make you laugh, but they may change the way you think.”

In Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Jean, a young woman sitting in a café, answers the incessantly ringing phone of a fellow café patron, Gordon, nearby – who, it turns out, has quietly passed away. Jean holds onto the device, answering it when Gordon’s friends, family, and business acquaintances call, and as a result her life is turned upside-down and she’s thrust into a world of mysterious strangers, shady business deals, a dysfunctional family, and the potential for true love.

“This is the fourth play in a season in which we’re proud to say that every play we’re doing will have been created by a woman playwright,” says Steinberg.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone runs from September 10 through October 9 at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse, 405 Lafayette Street, Cape May. Half-price preview on September 9. There’ll be a post-show discussion with cast and crew on September 25, which is open to everyone, and a half-price senior matinee on Sunday, September 20. There is also a pay-what-you-wish performance on Friday, September 18. Ticket prices range from $18 for students/military to $33 for seniors and $38 for adults. Opening night tickets – which include an after-party with the cast – are $53. Tickets are available through capemaystage.org or by calling (609) 770-8311.