GoreVidal's political drama The Best Man hits The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater stage in February

If the current real-life political dramas are whetting your appetite for more, you may want to check out Gore Vidal's version, _The Best Man_ - at The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater. It's set at a National Convention, where the leading candidates are a principled intellectual who sees both sides of every issue and an unscrupulous politico who favors whatever is leading the polls.

While today's conventions are little more than extended pep-rallies for their respective parties, the characters and strategies in evidence will be very familiar to today's audiences. As a result, this 1960 drama has lost none of its edge a dozen presidential campaigns later.

Director Brian Boland has assembled a winning cast for this dramatic contest. The candidates in question are played by Eric Crist of West Grove and John Anthony Reardon of Jeffersonville. They are supported by Andrea Ambs of Ewing, NJ; Nayab Hussain of Wilmington, DE; Richard Paci of Lansdale, Bryan Ramona of Havertown, Robert Reynolds of Ardmore, Thomas Kollias and Chas Thomas of Broomall; Ronald Comer of Wallingford, Heidemarie Starr of Morton, Ellen Wilson Dilks and Bob Dimond of Media, John Devine of Drexel Hill, Richard Scocca of Phoenixville and Ryan Stone of Springfield.

For those who are stirred by _The Best Man_/ /to do their civic duty, The Players Club of Swarthmore is making it easy. Voter registration forms will be available in the lobby during intermission; anyone interested in registering just needs to ask the House Manager for one! The Players Club will even convey them to the court house, impartially as to party affiliation.

Patrons with a taste for visual art may want to join artist, James R. Jacobs, for a reception hosted by PCS on February 5 at 7:00pm. Jacobs, whose work will be displayed in the lobby during the run of the show, describes his signature style as "painting with pieces of color". Jacobs studied under world-renowned instructor, Edward Loper, Sr., of Wilmington, Delaware. His lobby show at PCS will include still life styles and landscapes.

_The Best Man_ runs February 7-10, 14-17 and 21-23. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8pm and Sunday matinées are at 2pm. The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater is located just minutes from the Blue Route and I-95 at 614 Fairview Avenue in Swarthmore. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students (18 and under or college students with ID). All tickets and ticket packages are available at the box office, or may be purchased in advance by visiting www.pcstheater.org or calling 1-866-811-4111 (ticket sales through TheaterMania). For Info or Group Sales: 610-328-4271.