Off the Wall Productions Presents THE SMALL ROOM AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS, Now thru 10/31

With: Ken Bolden (Henry), Sharon Brady (Joyce), Daina Michelle Griffith (Grace), Amy Landis (Jenny), and Amanda Brooke Lerner (Anne)

"Somewhere in an enormous house, there is a hidden staircase."

And thus begins Carole Fréchette's play, a contemporary variant of the Bluebeard legend. In their 28-room mansion, newlywed Grace finds herself irresistibly drawn to the one mysterious room her husband Henry has forbidden her to enter. She stumbled into a fairy-tale marriage, complete with her own Prince Charming and resplendent home, but it could all come apart if she chooses to defy his wishes. Can Grace resist temptation, and other's voices ringing in her ears, or will she let her curiosity get the best of her and confront the secrets of the man she loves?

Carole Fréchette, actress, critic, novelist, and one of Canada's leading women playwrights, studied acting at the National Theatre School of Canada from 1970 to 1973. She became involved in political and feminist theatre as well as collective writing, which was flourishing at that time in Quebec. In 1974, she joined the Marxist feminist theatre collective called the Theatre des Cuisines (Kitchen Theatre Group) and worked with the group on the writing and staging of plays about abortion rights and women's domestic burdens. In the early 80's Fréchette undertook graduate studies in dramatic arts at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her work has continued unabated, with numerous full-length and short plays. She has been translated into over twenty languages and is presented to audiences the world over.

Performance dates: Oct. 17-18, 23-25, 30-31, and Nov. 1 at 8:00pm. Matinees Oct. 19 & 26 at 3:00pm

Tickets: $ 5.00 - $ 35.00 http://www.showclix.com/event/3770599 1-888-71-TICKETS

Photo by Heather Mull

www.insideoffthewall.com