SOUTHERN RAPTURE Chicago Premiere Set For Theater Wit

Tin Drum Theatre Company has announced the cast and creative team for the Chicago premiere of SOUTHERN RAPTURE, written by Eric Coble and directed by Jason Palmer. The production will run June 11–28 at Theater Wit, located at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue in Chicago.

Previews begin Thursday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m., with opening night scheduled for Friday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Based on real events, SOUTHERN RAPTURE examines a cultural conflict in Charlotte, North Carolina, after a local theater company announces it will stage a play titled Rapture in America that includes a brief moment of male nudity. The announcement sparks controversy across the city, leading to debates about artistic freedom, public funding for the arts, and the role of civic institutions in regulating culture.

The play draws inspiration from a series of events beginning in 1996, when Charlotte Repertory Theatre planned a production of ANGELS IN AMERICA. A district attorney attempted to bring criminal charges related to the production, but court injunctions allowed the show to proceed. The dispute drew national media attention and later led county commissioners to cut $2.5 million in arts funding. Although much of the funding was eventually restored, the controversy had long-term effects on the city’s arts organizations, and Charlotte Repertory Theatre closed in 2005.

Cast

The ensemble includes Teddy Boone (Mayor Winston Paxton), Shannon Leigh Webber (Marjorie Winthrop), Michael Stejskal (Donald Sherman), Mary Anne Bowman (Allissa Marquand, Nyla-Jean Geisy, Julia Overmyer), Jenny Hoppes (Laverne Jackson, Pam, Clarice Paxton, Tina), Jordan Gleaves (Simon Larisher, Emmett Whipple, Nightline Host, Franklin McManus), and Andrew Bosworth (Mickey Stedman, Reverend Dupree, Anton Finewitz).

Creative Team

The creative team includes Steve Needham (producer), Jason Palmer (director), Teddy Boone (casting director), Emily Nicholas (stage manager), Sil Rivera (assistant stage manager/scenic assistant), Kaitlyn Hettinger (technical director/scenic designer), Kasey Wolfgang (Costume Designer), Ellie Fey (lighting designer/master electrician), Zach Stinnett (sound designer), and Erin Alys (intimacy and movement director).

Tickets