Sibling Rivalry on Deck With IMMEDIATE FAMILY At Theatre Memphis

Immediate Family, by Paul Oakley Stovall, is the play selection as a result of Theatre Memphis' Read to Relate program that is next on deck in the Next Stage at Theatre Memphis November 4 - 19, 2022. Spunky and bold, you learn that in the Bryant family's home keeping a secret is next to impossible.

When the entire clan comes together for the first time in years, family secrets are exposed in a hilarious, emotional family reunion. Siblings jockey to prove their points only to fall on seemingly deaf ears.

Evy can't understand why her brothers are so mysterious and distant; Jesse is afraid to be true to himself and honest with his family; no one can understand why Tony is so eager to get married. Ultimately, each must play the hand they are dealt.

Director Thomas "TeKay" King, Artistic Director, Theatre Manager and Program Coordinator of Theatre at Southwest Tennessee Community College (STCC) where he is an Assistant Professor in Communication and Theatre, says he wants to be sure the points of the play are made with the appropriate humor. He states, "I think of this play as a 90's sit-com with a 2010 mindset. It looks at a bunch of after-school special topics in a very poignant but lighthearted manner. We are exploring topics and situations that are both native to African American and LGBTQIA+ experiences while also having a definitive universal quality to them." He also says it has been crucial that the environment reflects the process of putting the show together. "It has been such a joy to work with both veterans and newcomers to the Theatre Memphis stage. TM is already like a family and this show and cast will exemplify that even more. It has been one of the most supportive and creative casts that I've ever worked with locally."

Theatre Memphis Executive Producer Debbie Litch relates, "We could not be more proud to present Immediate Family as an offering that came to us via our Outreach and Education program, Read to Relate, which is an active community play discussion group that seeks out, reads and analyzes plays written by and about ALAANA and/or differently abled communities. As a result of this program we have been made aware of a wide array of topics and artists and are thrilled to be able to then offer something to our patrons that expands our season to include relevant topics about and to diverse communities."

The playwright, Paul Oakley Stovall (recently having toured in Memphis in the musical Hamilton as George Washington and the recipient of a Tony Award as Co-Producer of A Strange Loop) will be in attendance at Theatre Memphis for a talk back on Saturday, November 5, 2022, after the show. The public is invited.

For more information about Theatre Memphis or this production, please go to https://theatrememphis.org/shows/immediate-family/

Immediate Family in the Next Stage

Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Extd. Memphis, TN 38117

November 4 - 19, 2022

Sponsored by: Marjorie Palazzolo; Media Sponsors: WKNO 91.1fm and Memphis Flyer

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and $20 for seniors and military

www.theatrememphis.org/tickets or 901.682.8323.

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