The Players Ring theater opens its 35th season with an original comedy by a local playwright

PORTSMOUTH – “As Time Goes By,” opening at the Players Ring on Sept. 18, is the theater’s premier production for its 2026-27 Mainstage Season. Written by G. Matthew Gaskell and directed by Jamie Bradley, the play is about time travel, comedy and heart.
 
"When we build a season, there are so many things to consider,” said The Ring’s Executive Director Margherita Giacobbi. “You're constantly looking for balance: between genres and styles, between classics and contemporary work, between intimate stories and larger ones, between light and dark. What we've also learned is that the season opener has to be something special. And this time we’re doing it with an original play.”

Giacobbi said this is possible because G. Matthew Gaskell is a top-notch writer and a Seacoast favorite. 
“It's possible because it's directed by Jamie Bradley, another beloved theatre maker in our community,” she said. “And it's possible because we're assembling a truly stellar team of actors and creatives.”
“As Time Goes By” isn't a world premiere – it was first presented by the Seacoast Repertory Theatre nearly 10 years ago. 

“But you know what happens at The Ring,” Giacobbi said. “Whatever touches our stage becomes something new. Something different. That's the beauty of theatre: the same story, in different hands, becomes an entirely new vision and experience."

An inexplicable visitor from the future, Billy arrives with one mission: to prevent young Susie Peabody and her fiancé Tommy Brady from spending this one particular night together. Why? Because if they do, the consequences could ripple across time itself. Determined to keep fate on track, Billy risks tearing a hole in the space-time continuum as he repeatedly intervenes in the lives of the Peabody family.

The idea came from both Gaskell’s and Bradley’s love for time travel. 
 
“I got the basic idea for the plot and characters and then I brought Jamie on board and we built it into a story,” Gaskell said. 
 
“I don’t know how unique my process is, but when I get an idea, I’m a bit like a dog that won’t let go of a bone. Especially if it’s a good idea. If I come up with something that I really like, I have to see it through and give it everything I’ve got.”
 
“There are elements that changed from the show at the Seacoast Rep,” Gaskell said. “The characters and basic story are still the same but I made some adjustments to Billy’s journey and the ‘science’ aspect of the plot, which meant reworking a few scenes. If anyone out there enjoys my work, but hasn’t seen this, get a ticket. Of all my scripts, this is the one I am most proud of.” 
 
Bradley said that like most children of the 1970s and 80s, he was “raised on television.”
 
“Every time I direct, there's an underlying inspiration from sitcoms. ‘Filmed before a live studio audience’ is the mantra that runs through my head,” he said. “At the end of the day, my goal is to entertain. I always say the audience is the most important part of a production, and I just want them to leave entertained.”
 
Bradley directed the play at the Seacoast Rep almost 10 years ago, and noted that the Players Ring is a very different space.
 
“The last time we put this show up I wanted to create an actual TV show,” he said. 
 
“The actors had very stylized deliveries as if they were caricatures of the typical 1950s or 60s sitcom family. That lent itself well to the stadium seating and cavernous room of the Rep, but the Ring is a much more intimate space,” he added.
 
“So, this time around, I want to create a world that's more realistic and honest. Even though it's an outrageous circumstance, the truth is that they're a real family with real feelings. I want the audience to feel like they're actually in the Peabody living room getting ready to have dinner with the family.”
 
Kevin Mahaney gave some insight into the character of Billy.

“Billy is a passionate, dedicated loose cannon,” he said. “He leads with his heart, and while that makes him fiercely loyal, it also has a way of getting him into trouble and complicating what he's trying to accomplish.” 
Mahaney also played in the original production at the Rep.

“This show means more to me than I can put into words,” he said. “Greg (Gaskell and Jamie are two of my favorite people to work with, and when they first approached me about the original production, there was never a question – I was all in.”

“That production also became deeply personal. During its original run, my father passed away. He came to see the show on the first Sunday, suffered a heart attack the following day, and sadly passed away soon after. It was the last time he ever saw me perform,” he added.

“Returning to Billy nearly 10 years later brings with it a flood of memories and emotions, but above all, it feels like a gift – a chance to celebrate my father's memory while revisiting a character I truly love. A lot has changed in my life over the past decade, and I know that growth will naturally shape my performance. I hope to bring a deeper perspective to Billy while holding onto the energy, humor, and heart that made him such a joy to play the first time around.”

The cast also includes Sierra Cummings, Noah J. Fox, Philip Hobby, Heather Howe, and Holden King-Farbstein. Set and Light Design is by Ben Bagley; Set Construction by Joshua Mills; Props by Elise O’Connell; Costumes by Kelli Connors, and Sound Design by Andrew Cameron. Stage Managers are Kate Dugas, Catharine Davis and Kevin Baringer.

Giacobbi hopes that audiences will be so excited that they will choose to become subscribers and enjoy the 8 Mainstage productions from September through June.

Curious about the process? The first Sunday matinee show will be followed by an optional talkback with the director and cast.

The Ring’s neighbor, The Puddle Dock restaurant, and its sister restaurant, Tour on Lafayette Road, are both offering a 10% discount on food to Players Ring patrons. Visit their websites to reserve, and present your ticket when you ask for your check.
 
The Players Ring is grateful for the support of its donors and sponsors. 
 
Patrons of the Arts: New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, New England Foundation for The Arts, The Eppes-Jefferson Foundation, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, The John Bickford Foundation, TOUR Golf & Grill, The Puddle Dock Restaurant, Southport Printing Company and Raka Creative. 
Season Supporters: The Rosamond Thaxter Foundation, Portsmouth Recreation Department, Business Cents, Meredith Village Savings Bank, Kittery Community Center, ACE Handyman Services Seacoast, Dowling HVAC, Port City Makerspace. Media Partners: Portsmouthnh.com and Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The Ring Works New Play Lab is supported by Kennebunk Savings Bank.
 
 
 
 
Go & Do
What: “As Time Goes By,” written by G. Matthew Gaskell and directed by Jamie Bradley
Where:  Players Ring, 105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth NH
               Phone: 603-436-8123
When: Sept. 18 through Oct. 11. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. 
Cost: General Admission: $33; Seniors (65+)/Students/Veterans/First Responders: $31
This play is included in The Ring’s subscription packages. Visit www.playersring.org for more information and to purchase tickets.