The Member of the
Wedding Not Married to Traditional Interpretation in the
Next Stage at Theatre Memphis
Memphis, TN – The Member
of the Wedding by
Carson McCullers will ceremoniously take over the Next Stage at Theatre September
19 – October 5, 2014, as the first production in the 100-seat black box space
for the current season. An American classic, this story is funny as it is
touching and heart-warming, Frankie, a 12-year-old tomboy, is coming of age in
a small Southern town in the 1940s. She
is a troubled adolescent who dreams of escape from her seemingly hopeless
environment and is befriended by her loving confidante housekeeper and younger
cousin. A plot that has timeless relevance, it is a mid-century look at
attitudes on racial and sexual identity that has lessons that can be applied to
society today.
Director Irene Crist has assembled a cast
that has come together to perform what is conceivably a period piece with
modern day messages. She says, “It has been both interesting and
horrifying to be working on The Member of
the Wedding during this turbulent time in our nation's civil rights
history. Our
play takes place when civil rights were but a whisper in the community and I
want the cast and audiences to understand what strength it took - takes - to be grounded in one’s belief.” Leading the cast is Judi Gray as Berenice
Sadie Brown and Lauren Ledger as the freedom– and love- seeking child, Frankie Adams.
Holden Guibao who recently appeared as Winthrop in TM’s The Music Man plays the young cousin, John Henry West. Other cast
members are Paul Webb, Joseph Prestigiacomo, Taylor Wood, Chris Wilson, Delvyn
Brown, Thomas King, Leigh Ann Evans, Baylee Thielemier, Hannah Newsom and
Thymia Rogers.
Crist reveals, “The play has
the power to shock an audience in the way it suddenly depicts wounds in
friendships that will likely never heal. The old ways
versus the new ways and the thinly veiled, if veiled at all, racism of the late
40s and early 50s are themes that McCullers visits in this epically beautiful
tale of one's search for belonging.” Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie
Litch says the importance of mounting such a strong story is about the message
as well as the opportunity. “As a community theatre, Theatre Memphis constantly
looks for scripts that will ignite a conversation or bring to light a broader
face of our community. The issues addressed in The Member of the Wedding can be related to events currently facing
our city and nation and we feel a thoughtful presentation of this show to be
absolutely timely and appropriate.”
###
TITLE: The Member
of the Wedding
WRITTEN BY: Carson McCullers
DIRECTOR: Irene Crist
VENUE
AND ADDRESS: Theatre
Memphis in the Next Stage, 630 Perkins Ext, Memphis, TN, 38117
RUN
DATES: September
19 – October 5, 2014
TIMES OF SHOWS:
Thursdays @ 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays @ 8pm with matinees
@ 2pm on Sundays
TICKETS: $25 adults,
$15 students with valid ID
BOX
OFFICE: 901.682.8323
WEB: www.theatrememphis.org
SPONSORED BY: Gene and Sandra Cochran
MEDIA SPONSORs: WKNO 91.1FM and
The Best Times