Osborn Award Winner Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder to Premiere New Play at Alabama Shakespeare Festival

By: Feb. 15, 2009
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The Alabama Shakespeare Festival will produce the next world premiere from Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, winner of the 2008 Elizabeth M. Osborn Award for Gee's Bend, which has received over 5 regional productions since its world premiere at ASF in 2007. Her new play, The Furniture of Home, was commissioned by ASF and received readings at the 2007 and 2008 Southern Writers' Project Festivals. It will run in full production March 6-29, 2009 on ASF's Octagon Stage. The play will be remounted for the 2009 Southern Writers Project Festival of New Plays May 15 - 17.

The Furniture of Home is set in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama and focuses on Kendall, a teenage girl who lives with her grandmother, Dottie. Kendall and Dottie have lost their house in Hurricane Katrina and must decide whether to fight for their land or take the money that developers offer. Meanwhile, Kendall bargains with Boone, an immigrant Vietnamese fisherman's son, to get a ride to Biloxi where she believes her mother is working in a casino. Dottie and Kendall learn to let go of the past and hold on to one another in this hilarious and heartwarming story about what makes a home. Wilder deftly crafts witty and lovable characters as only she can in this intimate masterpiece that examines the little-known challenges this small coastal town faced after the storm.

The play features a cast of four including ASF veteran Greta Lambert as Dottie, Anne Letscher (Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway) as Kendall, Alexis Camins (Japanoire, EST; Killing the Boss, Cherry Lane) as Boone and Philip Clark (Come Back, Little Sheba and The Fifth of July on Broadway) as Butch Grissom. ASF Associate Director Nancy Rominger directs with scenic design by Peter Hicks, costume design by Susan Branch, lighting design by Curtis Hodge and sound design by Brett Rominger.

Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder recently returned to Alabama after living in New York and Los Angeles. Her play Gee's Bend, which was originally commissioned and produced by ASF, has received additional productions at The Denver Center, Cleveland Playhouse, Northlight Theatre, Kansas City Rep and the Arden Theatre, among others. Other commissions include The Bone Orchard for the Denver Center Theatre. Her play Fresh Kills premiered at The Royal Court in London. Wilder's work has be called "fresh, funny and poignant" by JewishNews.com and "emotional and uplifting" by the Daily Camera, Boulder, Colorado.

Tickets are on sale now! Preview performances March 6-8 are just $25. Regular performances are March 10 - 29. ASF is offering the "Loveseat Special" every Tues - Thursday evening offering a half price ticket with every full price ticket purchased. Evening performances are at 7:30 PM. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays are at 2PM. The opening performance on Sunday, March 8 will be followed by a reception with the cast. Tickets are available now by calling the ASF Box Office toll free at (800) 841-4273 or online at www.asf.net.

The Furniture of Home will be remounted for the Southern Writers' Project Festival of New Plays May 15 - 17. The Festival will also include a reading of a new world premiere from Pearle Cleage, yet another commission from Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, a ten-minute play competition and much more. Details of the Festival and a full schedule will be released soon.

 

 



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