Black Elephant Theatre Presents TERRE HAUTE 3/17

Black Elephant Theatre will perform the Chicago premiere of "Terre Haute", by Edmund White at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport at 8:00pm March 17, 2011. The two person cast features veteran Chicago actor Danne W. Taylor and Cole Simon, making his first appearance with Black Elephant, and is directed by BE artistic director Michael Rashid.

Terre Haute was developed at The Sundance Institute in 2006, made its US premiere at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center in 2007, performed in New York's 59E59 Theatre, and recently concluded a run at Los Angeles' Blank Theatre. The fast paced 80 minute drama is based on an actual correspondence between Gore Vidal and Timothy McVeigh as McVeigh awaited execution by lethal injection for his part in the April, 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. At the time (pre 911) the bombing was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism ever committed on American soil and launched the most extensive criminal investigation in FBI history. McVeigh, a Gulf War hero with no criminal record, never revealed his true motivations that killed 168 people, including 19 children under the age of six, injured more than 680, and damaged or destroyed 324 buildings within a 16 block radius of the blast. Mr. Vidal concluded McVeigh had acted to avenge what he considered the murder of innocent civilians by the FBI at Waco and Ruby Ridge. In a series of essays published in The Nation magazine, Vidal suggested people like McVeigh should not be dismissed as insane, but viewed rather as freedom fighters against a corrupt government leading the United States into "a perpetual state of war."

The two men never met face to face. But what if they had? What if their unpublished correspondence became a conversation? This is the conceit of Edmund White's play.

Four days prior to his execution, the unrepentant terrorist, callEd Harrison in the play, agrees to a set of four on the record interviews with the only writer, now James Brevoort, he trusts to tell his story. James expects to easily manipulate the Death Row inmate into telling him "something he's never told anyone before." Harrison is an intellectual curiosity; a project no more or less important than any other. His interest is peaked by how, not why, the crime was committed. He soon discovers, however, the prisoner behind the protective screen is not the man he imagined.

"Terre Haute" previews March 17, 2011 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, Chicago, IL 60657 at 8:00pm.

Limited engagement continues through April 10, 2011. Show times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm. Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Seating is by general admission. Run time is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Late arrivals will NOT be seated. Limited exchanges available. Tickets: $20.00 / $15.00 seniors / $10.00 students. Also online through www.ticketmaster.com or at the Athenaeum box office at 773-935-6860.