TWTP Stages Debut of UNRAVELLING THE RIBBON, 10/1

Tennessee Women's Theater Project opens its fourth season this Friday night, October 1, with the U.S. professional premiere of Unravelling the Ribbon, by Irish playwrights Mary Kelly and Maureen White.

The play is described as "a tender, often hilarious exploration of the lives of three women: 34 year-old hairdresser Rose lives on a farm with her husband and two children, wondering if she married too young. Lola, in her 50s, has withdrawn from the world. Nobody ever visits, unopened mail piles up, and she's trying to face the job of selling, packing and moving on. Lyndsey, at 11, is worried that her best friend has stopped sitting beside her in art class. When breast cancer intrudes, everything begins to come undone."

Unravelling the Ribbon tells a moving - and funny - tale of friendship and survival, according to TWTP founder and artistic director Maryanna Clarke.

Clarke describes the process of choosing Unravelling the Ribbon: "I read dozens and dozens of plays in search of memorable women characters whose stories express the human condition in the female voice." A brief description of the play in a catalog prompted her to locate a copy in the library at University of the South, and request it through the interlibrary loan program at the Nashville Public Library.

"I quickly fell in love with the characters and the way their stories are revealed and woven together," she says.

Breast cancer is a terrifying prospect, Clarke maintains, "and it can be easier to communicate with a stranger who has experienced cancer than with a family member, no matter how concerned they are. Cancer survivors know that sometimes laughter is the best armor against life-changing disease."

With some reservations about faithfully rendering the Irish setting and language, Clarke requested the rights.

"The publishers were more than accommodating about letting us stage the play for the first time in this country. And, they put me in touch with the playwrights," she explained.

American audiences may be accustomed to broadly comic "stage Irish," Clarke suggests, but in Ireland, subtle differences in dialect speak volumes about both geography and class distinctions. Cast members are working with dialect coach Jill Massie to create the best combination of authentic speech and accessibility. As rehearsals progress, Clarke has carried on a lively email exchange with Mary Kelly, one of the authors, who clarifies localisms and offers cultural notes.

All three members of the cast are making their debut appearances with the company. Rose is played by Corrie Miller, who recently appeared in Street Theatre's 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Boiler Room Theatre's Nine. Kristin James plays Lyndsey; her recent stage credits include appearances at Mississippi State University and Brentwood Academy. Linda Sue Simmons plays Lola; she recently appeared with her daughter Alyssa inOklahoma and in other shows at the Renaissance Center in Dickson.

For a complete schedule of 2010-2011 performance dates and times, reservations and information, call 615-681-7220, or visit www.twtp.org.

Unravelling the Ribbon will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on the evenings of October 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16; at 10:30 a.m. on October 5 and 12; and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoons, October 3, 10 and 17, at the Z. Alexander Looby Theater, 2301 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for students and seniors (60 and older); all seats are $10 on Thursday evenings.

Pictured, left to right, are Corrie Miller, Linda Sue Simmons and Kristin James