Throughline Theatre Kicks Off 2014 'MORALITY AND DIVINITY' Season

From the very beginning of recorded time there have been two questions in particular that have plagued mankind, dogged our curiosity, and baffled our scholars, philosophers, scientists, and religious leaders. Is there a God? And why do we die? Through the centuries and across cultures, Literature and Theatre are permeated with questions of life, death, and a high power. Throughline Theatre's 2014 season, "Mortality and Divinity," will strive to explore these, and similar questions, in four new performances at Grey Box.

The season begins with Angels in America Part 1 and Part 2, by Tony Kushner, from today, June 6th through June 14th. In 1985, the AIDS epidemic is roaring through America's gay community. As families are torn apart, careers are brought to ruin, and loved ones wither away body and soul, a group of strangers, linked by a common syndrome, are faced with the harshest proof of their own mortality. This two-time Tony Award winning epic follows their struggles with faith and human nature, as they each endeavor to survive their disease, endure their solitude, and transcend their frailties.

A world premiere continues the season July 18th through the 26th! A New Death, by C.S. Wyatt - the winning submission from Throughline's first New Play Competition - explores, obviously but not so simply: Death. Due in large part to the arbitrary, chaotic, and often downright ridiculous nature in which it is handled (by whoever's running this circus!), Death makes about as much sense as the conference call you had to sit on about the power-point presentation you slept through half of at that manager's meeting you showed up late to last week. Envisioning the transition to the after-life as a mismanaged monopoly, the play lifts the curtain on an industry rife with corporate waste and bureaucratic cover-ups, revealing a system riddled with red tape, office politics, and incompetence... lots and lots of incompetence.

This season's traditional piece is Everyman, by an anonymous 15th-century playwright. With the revelation that his life is coming to an end, Everyman prepares himself for his final journey to Death. Revisiting his friends, family, and best aspects of himself as he travels the road, Everyman seeks love and loyalty in a growing sea of betrayal and abandonment at his time of need. The most enduring of the Medieval morality plays, Everyman speaks to all of the greats fears, hopes, and questions that have cowed and inspired humanity for millennia. The play will open September 12th and close September 20th.

Finally, the 2014 season concludes with Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, premiering October 24th and closing on November 1st. In a courtroom in Purgatory, an upstart defense attorney files an appeal to redeem the soul of Christianity's most notorious sinner. The trail that follows sparks a debate on religion, ethics, morality, love, judgment, and forgiveness amongst the all-star lineup of witnesses called to testify. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot ranges from dark comedy to intimate drama, bringing well known biblical and historical figures to wild, screaming, obscenity-laden life in an effort to examine and question the fate of the man who betrayed Jesus.

All performances will open on a Friday evening at 8pm, and there will be an Opening Night Event that begins before the show at 7pm and continues after until 11pm. Subsequent performances continue with a matinee and evening performance on the Saturday of opening weekend, and evening performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the second week, as well as another matinee on the second Saturday. Evening performances are at 8pm, matinees at 2pm. Tickets are $15 or $12 for students and seniors. Tickets for the Opening Night Event are sold separately and are $10. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online at throughline showclix.com.