Trusts Theatre to Present Pulitzer Prize-Winning Play THE FLICK, 5/20-6/4

Pulitzer Prize winning play written by Annie Baker and directed by Dewey Scott-Wiley, The Flick, will be on Trustus Theatre's main stage from May 20-June 4.

In a run-down movie theater in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees mop the floors and attend to one of the last 35-millimeter film projectors in the state. Their tiny battles and not-so-tiny heartbreaks play out in the empty aisles, becoming more gripping than the lackluster, second-run movies on screen. With keen insight and a finely tuned comic eye, The Flick is a hilarious and heart-rending cry for authenticity in a fast-changing world.

Previous Trustus Artistic Director and Trustus Ensemble member for 23 years, Director Dewey Scott-Wiley knows a well-crafted play when she sees one. Wiley states, "The Flick is one of the most produced and talked about plays of the last 2 years. It is both highly entertaining and extremely thought provoking, which is exactly the type of play that Trustus has entrusted Columbia audience's with for over 30 years." Wiley goes on to state, "The characters in The Flick are extremely layered and interesting people that work for an hourly wage at a small movie theatre that is struggling to stay open. The play simultaneously celebrates our need for escapism while struggling to stay afloat in a harsh economic reality. This makes The Flick Pulitzer Prize worthy, when aspects of American life are not typically represented on stage."

Launching the first Off-Broadway show at Playwrights Horizons in 2013, The Flick has gone on to win an Obie Award for Playwriting in 2013 and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2014. Due to the outstanding comedic writing and the relatable relationship development between characters, The Flick is taking the Theatre world by storm and it's an honor for Trustus to bring such an acclaimed production to the Columbia community and beyond.

Actress Christine Hellman will experience her Trustus debut as she plays Rose, the green-haired, tattooed 24-year-old projectionist. Hellman states, "It is wonderful working with such a small cast and I find it really fulfilling to work smaller. It provides a very intimate and vulnerable environment, which is an actor's dream! We are totally focused on the dynamic between these three completely different people. We get to spend a lot of time on every detail of the script and the author's intentions. This is so different from big productions in that we don't have a ton of set changes, costume changes, and a million people running around. The simplicity of the setup of this play really adds to the drama that unfolds. The audience will experience the life of these characters in a very real and intimate way."

Opening night for The Flick is Friday, May 20 at 8:00 pm. Other shows are Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 pm, Sunday May 22 at 3:00 pm, Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 pm, Friday, May 27 at 8:00 pm, Saturday, May 28 at 8:00 pm, Sunday, May 29 at 3:00 pm, Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 pm, Friday, June 3 at 8:00pm and Saturday, June 4 at 8:00pm. Tickets are available at the Trustus box office or online at trustus.org. Box office hours are Wednesday-Friday from 2-6 pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, seniors and military and $25 for students with a current ID. For more information and updates, visit www.trustus.org, www.facebook.com/TrustusTheatre, https://twitter.com/trustustheatre or call 803.254.9732.

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