THE BEAUTIFUL DARK Extends at Redtwist Theatre Through 9/8

The Beautiful Dark, a world premiere by Erik Gernand and directed by Josh Altman, is extending 1 week to September 8, 2013. The show plays Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30pm; Sundays at 3pm. The Beautiful Dark must close September 8.

Nancy's son, Jacob, announces he has failed out of college, and upon returning home, sleeps all day. From this deceitful calm, Nancy makes a startling discovery: Jacob didn't flunk out; he was kicked out for writing a graphic play about a killing spree on campus, carried out by a young man who sounds eerily like her son.As the evidence mounts against Jacob, Nancy is forced to confront her darkest fears. Is her son capable of the unthinkable? And can she stop him before it's too late?

Erik Gernand began writing The Beautiful Dark the week after the shooting in Arizona that injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He was inspired by an editorial he read in defense of the parents of the shooter that posed the question: What would you have done if he were your child?
Two separate development workshops at American Theater Company, Chicago IL

The Beautiful Dark is Erik's first production with Redtwist Theatre, and will open in September at Premiere Stages in Union, NJ. His plays have been in development or production at American Theater Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Barrow Group (NY), and Chicago Dramatists. Erik's short films have screened at more than 100 film festivals around the world including SXSW, Cinequest, and Chicago International Film Festival, as well as been broadcast on IFC, PBS, and The Logo Channel. He is a lecturer in Radio-TV-Film at Northwestern University.

The cast features Jacob Bond (Charlie), Jacqueline Grandt (Nancy), Tommy Lee Johnston (Tom), Aaron Kirby (Jacob), Scott Olson (Mr. Marsh), Tiffany Williams (Sydney)

Jacqueline Grandt is a Redtwist company member and won a 2012 Jeff Award for Principal Actress in Bug by Tracy Letts. Tommy Lee Johnston is a Redtwist company member and resident playwright. His play, Aura, received a 2010 Jeff nomination for New Work. Aaron Hunt is a 2012 Jeff Award-winner for Supporting Actor in Dark Play or Stories for Boys.

Tickets: Thursdays, $25; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $30 (seniors & students $5 off). For reservations, call 773-728-7529, email reserve@redtwist.org, or visit www.redtwist.org.

Photo: Jan Ellen Graves

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