Out Front on Main Opens Pairs of One-Acts Today, 5/19

Out Front on Main, Inc. presents a showcase of challenging and thought provoking one act plays opening Thursday, May 19. Edward Albee's The Zoo Story, directed by Ryan Daniel, and Therac 25, directed by Buddy Jones, will run through June 5, with performances Thursdays-Sundays at 7:30 p.m.

The Zoo Story concerns two characters, Peter (George W. Manus, Jr.) and Jerry (Justin Hand). Peter is a middle-class publishing executive with a wife, two daughters, two cats and two parakeets who lives in ignorance of the world outside his settled life. Jerry is an isolated and disheartened man who lives in a boarding house and is very troubled. These men meet on a park bench in New York City's Central Park. Jerry is desperate to have a meaningful conversation with another human being. He intrudes on Peter's peaceful state by interrogating him and forcing him to listen to stories from his life, including "The Story of Jerry and the Dog," and the reason behind his visit to the zoo. The action is linear, unfolding in front of the audience in "real time."

The catalyst for the play's shocking ending transpires when Peter announces, "I really must be going home;..." Jerry, in response, begins to tickle Peter. Peter giggles, laughs and agrees to listen to Jerry finish telling "what happened at the zoo." At the same time Jerry begins pushing Peter off the bench. Peter decides to fight for his territory on the bench and becomes angry. Unexpectedly, Jerry pulls a knife on Peter, and then drops it as initiative for Peter to grab. Bleeding on the park bench, Jerry finishes his zoo story by bringing it into the immediate present, "Could I have planned all this. No...no, I couldn't have. But I think I did."

Therac 25 is a play about two young people who meet and embark on a relationship in the cancer ward of Princess Margaret Hospital. The first question one must ask is why would anyone choose such a bleak setting to present a love story? For the play's author, Adam Pettle, the script was a survival mechanism to preoccupy himself during radiation therapy after a stay in the hospital in 1995. Characters suffering from two forms of cancer are who navigate Therac 25. Alan's (Andy Woloszyn) is less serious while Moira's (Heather Danielsen) is inoperable. Drawing empathy for them doesn't appear to be a great challenge. The obstacle at hand is immersing theatregoers in deep-seated fear and allowing them to hope. Alan and Moira meet while undergoing cancer treatment, and their companionship and humor help them struggle against isolation and fear, even while their personal boundaries and Moira's worsening condition strain their bond. Therac 25 reveals how friendships form under the most difficult circumstances.

For information and reservations, call (615) 516-6279 or visit the company website at www.outfrontonmain.com. Out Front on Main, Inc. is located at 1511 E. Main Street, in historic downtown Murfreesboro. Tickets are $10, general admission, and $5 for students/seniors.