Open Window Theatre Presents Buzz McLaughlin's SISTER CALLING MY NAME, Beginning Tonight

Artistic Director Jeremy Stanbary chose to open the theatre's fifth season with a serious drama that he says "advocates for the worth and dignity of the mentally disabled." SISTER CALLING MY NAME, which celebrates its Minnesota premiere, is the winner of the 1996 National Play Award. The production will run tonight, October 16, through November 1, 2015.

Playwright Buzz McLaughlin, who grew up in Le Sueur, has written a play about a man who reunites with his developmentally disabled older sister after his own self-willed separation of nearly eighteen years. McLaughlin knows first-hand what it is like to live with a disabled family member, and although he says most of the play is fiction, he admits "woven into it under the surface are echoes from my own life."

The play is structured as a memory play, similar to The Glass Menagerie, a classic of the theatre. Set in the small town of Fairmont, Minnesota, it centers on Michael, who leads the audience through his reluctant journey to reunite with his developmentally disabled sister Lindsey. Lindsey is an artist of extraordinary skill and has started receiving serious attention from the mainstream art world. Her guardian is Sister Anne, a nun and woman of keen intelligence with whom Michael was in love years before. The trio meet and are thrown into an emotionally charged encounter that shakes their worldviews and ultimately forces Michael to come to terms with Lindsey-a journey from total rejection to embracing her worth as a person. Stanbary, who will play the role of Michael, says he's excited to "bring more awareness to the challenges of mental disabilities within families and awareness of mentally handicapped artists within our community." To fulfill this desire, Open Window is looking to feature an art exhibition in their newly renovated theatre space that will feature the work of visual artists with disabilities.

Stanbary will also co-direct the show along with Kari Steinbach. He was inspired by the writings of Joseph Haj, the Guthrie's new artistic director, who had written about his co-directing work with local icon, Dominique Serrand. Stanbary asked Steinbach to try out the concept, and both directors are equally excited to have input from the playwright himself. McLaughlin will attend three performances and participate in audience talk-back sessions on Saturday, October 17th.

IF YOU GO:

SISTER CALLING MY NAME

Open Window Theatre (Metropolis Minneapolis Building), 1313 Chestnut Ave., Ste.#102, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Performance Schedule: Thursday - Saturday @ 7:45pm (except Saturday, Oct. 31); Sundays @ 1:30pm. Additional shows: Saturday, Oct. 17, 24 & 31 @ 1:30pm; Wednesday, Oct. 21 & 28 @ 10:30am and Sunday, Nov. 1 @ 7:45pm.

Advanced: Adult/$26; Seniors/Students/Clergy/Military/$22; Children 4-6yrs/$16; At The Door: Adult/$30; Seniors/Students/Clergy/Military/$26; Children 4-6 yrs/$20; Student Rush: $10; and Pay-As-You're-Able: Thursdays at the door ($1 minimum) for any unsold tickets in advance.