Photos: Burning Coal Theatre Company Second Stage Presents OR
Or, tells the story of Aphra Behn, England’s first female playwright, whose old and new loves collide with her former career as a spy on a riotous evening.
On the heels of their successful outdoor touring production of The Tempest, Switchyard Theatre Company continues their second season with the North Carolina premiere of Or, as part of the 2023 Burning Coal Theatre Company Second Stage series.
Written by Liz Duffy Adams, Or, tells the story of Aphra Behn, England’s first female playwright, whose old and new loves collide with her former career as a spy on a riotous evening before finishing her first play.
The play seamlessly weaves classical language and contemporary dialogue, with the three-person cast portraying characters drawn from the 17th-century literary and political worlds. Laurel Ullman, most recently featured in Burning Coal’s production of Silent Sky, plays the titular Aphra, whose love for people, her country and the written word are often at odds with each other. Circling Aphra on her rise to fame are Nell Gwyn, a celebrity actress of the English stage; and King Charles II, the ”merry monarch” recently restored to the English throne. Kelly and Ryan McDaniel (the husband-and-wife team who recently finished local playwright Mark Cornell’s production of The Other Half) portray these characters and four others between them, facilitated by some skillful quick changes and comedic timing.
Since comparatively little is known about Behn’s personal and professional life, the play consolidates and embellishes on the facts, condensing her career development to just a few weeks. The production also contrasts the political and social upheavals of England in the 1660’s with that of the world in the 1960’s – and the present day. “The Restoration was a time of great creative and social freedom, coming out of the very dictatorial and religious rule of the Cromwellians,” says director Charles Machalicky. “It’s good to see this sort of thing is cyclical – that creativity, enlightened thinking and love eventually win out, over and over. Like Aphra and her friends, we just have to choose it.”
Performances run from June 10-25 at Burning Coal Theatre at the Murphey School, 224 Polk St., Raleigh NC 27601. Tickets for all performances are $25 general admission, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. Tickets are available through the Burning Coal Theatre Company box office as part of the Second Stage Series.
The Cast of OR
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