Eric Jerome DickeyS Best-Selling Novel, FRIENDS AND LOVERS," Comes To The Theater And Kicks Off An Exciting And Emotional National Tour

The revolutionary production company, Im Ready Productions, adapts the widely popular best-selling novel Friends and Lovers" for the stage and ventures out on tour. The Fall leg of the tour begins September 7 in Jacksonville, Florida, and will sweep the country with an all-star cast, ending November 23 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

LOS ANGELES, CA (PRWEB) August 22, 2004 -- The revolutionary production company, Im Ready Productions, adapts the widely popular best-selling novel Friends and Lovers" for the stage and ventures out on tour. The Fall leg of the tour begins September 7 in Jacksonville, Florida, and will sweep the country with an all-star cast, ending November 23 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Friends and Lovers," tells a story of two sets of best friends: Leonard and Tyrel, and Debra and Shelby. Leonard meets Shelby and Tyrel meets Debra. The two couples fall in love and the challenges abound. When Debra meets Leonard, a successful comedian with complications of his own, she has just gotten off the sex-before-marriage merry-go-round. If he wants to ride, he will have to produce the gold ring.

Tyrel, a sexy computer software designer, has troubles finding a good woman and certainly doesnt think hes capable of loving one. This changes when he meets the cynical, yet good natured woman Shelby. Both are in for a life change when they have to face their fears, challenge jealousy and test friendships.

The stage is set for an uncensored, hilarious, and outrageously entertaining adventure in seduction, betrayal, heartbreak, revenge and true love. Friends and Lovers" teaches one to appreciate and recognize true friendship and love when they grace our lives.

Im Ready Productions was co-founded in Houston, Texas in 1998 by the visionary team of JeCaryous Johnson and Gary Guidry. The pair has created a professional touring production company devoted to personal and community awareness through cultural theater arts enrichment. Their mission is to entertain, teach and enlighten through storytelling and music. In just a few short years, Im Ready has transformed the urban theater genre through the quality of their productions, which appeal to a broad cross-section of theatergoers.

The star-studded cast of Friends and Lovers" includes Leon (Waiting to Exhale, The Five Heartbeats), Monica Calhoun (The Best Man, The Players Club), Miguel A. Nunez, Jr. (Juwana Man), Mel Jackson (Soul Food, Deliver Us From Eva), Maia Campbell (In The House, Trippin) and Lavell Crawford (ComicView).

The company gained attention when they broke box office records in several cities with the national tours of their stage musicals, Men Cry In the Dark" (2002) and Maintenance Man" (2003), both based on best-selling novels by Michael Baisden.

Eric Jerome Dickey is a New York Times best-selling author and two-time NAACP Image Award nominee. In addition to Friends and Lovers," his novels include Sister, Sister," Milk in My Coffee," Cheaters," Liars Game," Between Lovers" and Thieves Paradise." His books have held steady positions on regional bestseller lists and have been featured in many publications, including Essence, USA Today, Detroit Free Press, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Executive Produced by JeCaryous Johnson and Gary Guidry for Im Ready Productions. Novel written by Eric Jerome Dickey. Story by JeCaryous Johnson and Gary Guidry. Play script written by JeCaryous Johnson, Kim Collier, B. Mark Seabrooks, Kosmond Russell, Tonya Michelle, Nicole Ford, and Gary Guidry. Directed by JeCaryous Johnson. Music By Gary Guidry.

Tickets available through ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com or for more information, please visit, www.imreadyproductions.com.

CITY            VENUE         DATES
Jacksonville, FL      Times Union Center      Sept 7 - 8
Miami, FL         James L. Knight      Sept 9 - 12
Chicago, IL         Arie Crown         Sept 14 -- 19
Detroit, MI         Fabulous Fox Theater      Sept. 21 - 26
Atlanta, GA         Atlanta Civic Center      Oct 5 -- 10
Greensboro, NC      War Memorial Theater   Oct 12 -- 17
Dallas, TX         Brutton Theater      Oct 19 -- 24
Philadelphia, PA      Merriam Theater      Nov 2 -- 7
Houston, TX         Verizon Wireless Theater   Nov 16 -- 21
Philadelphia, PA      Merriam Theater      Nov 23 -- 28
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