Quark Theatre debuts with powerful drama 'Blackbird'
You’d have to warble four verses of Cole Porter’s "Another Op'nin', Another Show" to keep up with this week’s theatrical endeavors. One intense drama and three musicals open on stages Friday, and three of the quartet are regional premieres.
Each in its own way is a story about discovery, but Quark Theatre’s inaugural production is by far the most fierce. It's David Harrower's “Blackbird,” a powerful two-person drama that director Adam Remsen describes as “intense and potentially upsetting.” In fact, he says that when he first read it, “I thought, ‘I don’t want to do this play.’”
A synopsis gives more than a hint as to why that’s so. “Fifteen years ago, when Ray was 40 and Una was 12, they had an illegal and illicit sexual relationship. Ray went to prison, and after his release he moved away and changed his name. Now Una has tracked him down and comes to him for something, but what? Confrontation? Accusation? Reconciliation?”
Remsen explains the challenge: “The subject matter is very delicate and is not about a typical case. This is not like most situations of people who sexually abuse children. And the show makes it clear that this was abuse. So it’s a high-wire act to keep things feeling real and honest and natural and also to avoid trivializing or overdramatizing. It’s a tough show.”
And it’s not tough just for him. He says Tony Isbell, the veteran actor and director who is playing Ray, said it was the first role he’d seen in ages that he was a bit afraid of trying.
This, however, is exactly why Quark came about. The company was formed last year by Isbell, Remsen and Louisa Koeppel, who had done a successful production of Samuel Beckett’s play “Krapp’s Last Tape” in 2015. They wanted to continue to present “thoughtful, challenging theater that we felt was underrepresented in Memphis.”
“Blackbird” fit the sort of production they were looking for with its simple set requirements, small cast and challenging script. “It’s an unforgettable story and people won’t forget they saw this play,” Remsen promises.
The role of Una is played by Fiona Battersby, a graduate of the University of Memphis’ musical theater program. “She’s more accustomed to musicals,” Remsen says, “but last summer she did a production of Shakespeare’s ‘Titus Andronicus’ in London. She has a very expressive look and has come a long way in rehearsal. I’m pleased with her as Una.”
Harrower has said in interviews that the child molestation and sex are the least interesting parts of the story. The more engrossing themes, Remsen says, “address how people can fall in love with their idea of a person and project that on someone else. And the theme of how we react to damage and loss. It’s a relationship between two people that might have been different had they been closer in age. They make poor choices, but it’s a very complex, layered story.”
“Blackbird” runs March 10-26 at TheatreSouth, 1000 S. Cooper. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $20. Not suitable for children. quarktheatre.com
Stuck on you
The true story of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who became famous stage performers in the 1930s, is given a theatrical treatment in Theatre Memphis’ regional premiere of “Side Show.”
It’s the tale of Violet Hilton (Gia Welch) and sister Daisy (Dani Chaum), who harmonized beautifully among carnival show freaks but had creative differences on how they wanted to live their lives. One wanted stardom, the other domesticity, and they both end up having to battle a bad boss and suitors who don’t suit them very well.
On the other hand, their co-workers seemed to understand them best: the Lizard Man, the Bearded Lady, Tattoo Girl and the Human Pin Cushion.
“Side Show” runs March 10-April 2 on the Lohrey Stage of Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Ext. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $30; $15 students, $25 seniors 62 and above and military personnel. Info: theatrememphis.org and 901-682-8323.
Hattitude at Hattiloo
Hattiloo Theatre is bringing to the stage the Gospel musical “Crowns,” a praiseworthy examination of African-American history and identity expressed through extraordinary church hats.
The story is told through a young black woman who goes South after her brother is killed in Brooklyn. Characters wearing the hats tell the stories and sing the songs of what the hats signify and how they function in society, traditions that emerged from African rituals and slavery and now blend into current fashion.
The playwright, Regina Taylor, is a well-known film and television performer (she's won NAACP outstanding TV actress awards for "I'll Fly Away” and “The Unit”). She based the play on the book of the same name of photographs by Michael Cunningham and journalist Craig Marberry.
“Crowns” won four Helen Hayes awards for productions in Washington, D.C. It was staged in 2005 at Playhouse on the Square.
“Crowns” runs March 10-April 2 at Hattiloo Theatre, 37 S. Cooper. Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays; 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $28, $24 seniors/students (Saturday matinees are $22, $18)
Info: hattiloo.org and 901-525-0009.
How do you see yourself?
Germantown Community Theatre is staging “Violet: A Musical,” a journey of self-discovery based on the short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim” by Doris Betts.
A disfigured young woman is taking the bus from her farm in North Carolina to Tulsa, Okla., where she believes she’ll be healed.
Director Justin Asher says the message of the show is about self-acceptance. “Some days believing in ourselves is just as cliché as it sounds, but often it’s a lesson that is almost impossible to learn," he says. "Violet is haunted every day by the scar on her face. The pressure to ‘fix’ ourselves physically is stronger than ever, which makes Violet’s journey all the more personal and profound. When did we decide to trade self-acceptance in for constant self-improvement?”
The score is by Jeanine Tesori, who won three awards for the music in “Violet” and recognition for her many other projects. She’s done five Broadway musicals and earned five Tony Award nominations.
“Violet: A Musical” runs March 10-26 at Germantown Community Theatre, 3037 Forest Hill-Irene. Showtimes: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $28; $17 for seniors (65+) and students; $12 for children 12 and under. Some material may not be suitable for children. Info: gctcomeplay.org and 901-453-7447.
Theatre Memphis 2017-18 season
Here’s the lineup for productions at Theatre Memphis in the coming season.
On the Lohrey Stage:
Aug. 18-Sept. 10, 2017: “Shrek, the Musical”
Oct. 6-22: “Stage Kiss” (regional premiere)
Dec. 1-23: “A Christmas Carol*
Jan. 19-Feb. 4, 2018: “Fences”
Mar. 9-31: “The Drowsy Chaperone”
Apr. 27-May 13: “August Osage County”
June 8-July 1: “42nd Street”
On the Next Stage:
Oct. 6-22, 2017: “12 Angry Jurors”
Nov. 3-18: “Falsettos”
Feb. 9-25, 2018: “Souvenir”
Apr. 6-22: “An Act of God” (regional premiere)
The Summer Musical Showcase coming July 7-23, 2017, is “Three Memphis Tenors and a Baritone,” with Philip Himebook, Charles McGowan, Kevar Lane Maffitt and Charles “Chuck” Hodges.