STT Opens 2019 Season With INCOGNITO By Nick Payne

Second Thought Theatre begins its landmark fifteenth season with the area premiere of Incognito by Nick Payne. STT Artistic Director Alex Organ returns to helm this year's season opener, having previously directed Grounded (2017), c*ck(2014), and A Behanding in Spokane (2013) for STT. This year he directs three interwoven stories spanning 60 years that focus on the center of the nervous system-the brain. Incognito begins with previews on Wednesday, January 30 and runs through Saturday, February 23. All performances of Incognito will take place at Bryant Hall on the Kalita Humphreys Campus, 3400 Blackburn Street. Tickets to Incognito can be purchased online at secondthoughttheatre.com.

When presented with the opportunity to study one of world's most powerful brains, pathologist Thomas Harvey (STT alum Thomas Ward, last seen in Straight White Men) couldn't help but take it-literally. As Harvey embarks on a quest to understand the mind that understood the universe, playwright Nick Payne (Constellations) weaves his journey into a fabric of stories centered on understanding the secrets of the human mind. Through its unbelievable true stories of love, murder, and memory, Incognito explores the untapped mysteries of the mind, which, Payne reminds us, are at times both breathtakingly powerful and devastatingly fragile.

"The plays of Nick Payne often address the point at which science intersects with the human experience, and Incognito follows that trend," said Organ. "Here, we jump between three stories-each of which illuminates aspects of the human brain. Memory loss lies at the heart of this play, which seems to ask the question 'If the brain is essentially a collection of memories, then who do we become when those memories begins to fail us? Do we cease to be ourselves?' By incorporating the real-life theft of Albert Einstein's brain, Payne offers a framing device that provides the audience with a familiar reference point while also drawing these three stories together."

Joining Ward and making their STT debuts are actors Shannon McGrann and DFW newcomer Natalie Hebert. Rounding out the four-person ensemble-who play a combined 21 characters across three different timelines-is STT Director of Operations Drew Wall, who most recently appeared in STT productions Empathitrax and Straight White Men.

STT Artistic Associate Aaron Johansen (Revolt. she said. revolt again., Empathitrax, Grounded) will design lights, and Andrea "Slim" Allmond makes her Second Thought debut designing sound. Melissa Panzarello returns to design costumes, having previously designed Hillary and Clinton and The Necessities, and Amelia Bransky (Empathitrax) returns as set designer.

Incognito opens with previews on Wednesday, January 30 and Thursday, January 31 at 7:30pm. Opening and press night is Friday, February 1 at 8:00pm. The PWYC performances of Incognito will take place on Wednesday, January 30; Thursday, January 31; Monday, February 4; Monday, February 11; and Monday, February 18 at 7:30p. PWYC tickets are available at the box office one hour prior to the start of the performance and are subject to availability. Incognito runs through February 23. Tickets to Incognito are on sale now at secondthoughttheatre.com and can be purchased for $25.

Photo credit Evan Michael Woods

 

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