The Taste of Sunrise at Wheelock Family Theatre

Over thirty years in the making - Suzan Zeder’s richly lyrical Ware Trilogy captures the pulse of key moments in American History. The cherished plays, presented in collaboration with Emerson Stage, Wheelock Family Theatre, and Central Square Theater, are inspired by the oral traditions gathered during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and have become beloved pieces of the educational theater canon.

Against the stark mid-west backdrop of Ware, Illinois, we are introduced to complicated themes of loss, identity, and family through the lives of three outsiders: Tuc, a young deaf man; Girl; a foundling child; and Mother Hicks, a mysterious recluse, who is often suspected of being a witch.
Zeder’s trilogy of plays proves that drama expressly created for young people can be serious, sophisticated, and culturally relevant.

"Mother Hicks", pt.1, will be presented at Emerson Stage; February 26-March 1
"The Taste of Sunrise", pt.2, will be presented at Wheelock Family Theatre; March 13-22, 2015
"The Edge of Peace", pt.3, will be presented at Central Square Theater; April 3 -12

"The Taste of Sunrise" takes place in the mind and memory of Tuc, from the fever dreams of his childhood that took his hearing, to the language that he shares with his father of the natural world, to the deaf school where his mind explodes with the discovery of sign language. Tuc is a boy who must navigate the perilous path of love, loss, and language to weave a family out of wishes. An ensemble of Deaf and hearing directors, designers, and actors invite you to explore the cultural complexities of deafness with humor and compassion.