ORPHEUS DESCENDING to Open at Oakland Theater Project
Will Detlefsen directs Lisa Ramirez and Hunter Bryant in Williams' Southern Gothic classic.
Following its production of A Streetcar Named Desire in 2018, OTP will return to the work of American playwright Tennessee Williams with Orpheus Descending, directed by Will Detlefsen (Confirmation, Machinalia). Performances will take place at Oakland Theater Project (1501 MLK Jr Way, Oakland) from August 7—23.
Orpheus Descending follows the charismatic drifter and musician Val Xavier, who arrives in a small town in search of a new beginning. He finds work in a dry goods store owned by Lady Torrance, a lonely woman trapped in a loveless marriage.
As passion begins to grow between Val and Lady, it also ignites the town's prejudices — and sparks devastating consequences.
Born of the Southern Gothic but urgently national, Tennessee Williams reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice as a fever dream of America — one where the promise of freedom is received not as a refuge, but as a threat.
The cast features OTP Co-Artistic Director Lisa Ramirez as Lady, Hunter Bryant as Val Xavier, Susannah Martin as Vee Talbott, Robert Parsons as Jabe Torrance / Sheriff Talbott / David Cutrere, Natalie Pasquinelli as Carol Cutrere, Zolboo Namkhaidorj as Dolly Hamma / Nurse Porter, and Lizzie Izyumin as Beulah Binnings.
“Val is our Orpheus, and Lady is our Eurydice. Both characters exist as outsiders—people whose very presence challenges the town's rigid social order. The townspeople collectively become the force that drags both lovers toward destruction,” said Director Will Detlefsen. “Vee serves as our Cassandra: the visionary artist who sees what others refuse to acknowledge. I am interested in a world where art, sensuality, and music become revolutionary forces—where artists stand in direct opposition to a community consumed by hatred and conformity. The play becomes an artist's vision of where we are headed if we continue down a path shaped by religious extremism, white supremacy, and the dehumanization of those deemed 'other'. We're left with a question: who is allowed to descend and who is allowed to rise? I am hoping the audience feels a deep catharsis through this show, even if the end is a tragic one.”
Orpheus Descending is the fifth production in Oakland Theater Project's 2026 Season: The Land of The Free, featuring a year of new productions that examine a foundational tenet of America.
What does it mean to live in "the land of the free" at a time when democratic rights are shrinking and authoritarian power is rising? As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Oakland Theater Project's 2026 Season explores the tension between celebration and crisis.
Freedom, once imagined as a birthright, now feels like a responsibility—and sometimes a loss. Inspired by Timothy Snyder's On Freedom, this season's productions examine who holds freedom in America, who is denied it, and what it takes to protect it.
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The Still Point: An Immersive Experience SOMArts Cultural Center (7/16-7/25) |
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark SPARC (7/03-7/26) |
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour with Barry Bostwick Curran Theatre (10/11-10/11) |
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Iphigenia in Splott Shotgun Players Ashby Stage (7/25-8/30) |
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Comedy Oakland at Elbo Room Fri Aug 7 7:30pm Elbo Room Jack London (8/07-8/07) |
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Iolanthe ODC Theater (7/10-7/19) |
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Voices of Rock LIVE in Laguna Beach | July 30 - August 2, 2026 The Laguna Playhouse (7/30-8/02) |
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The Legend of Zelda in Concert Grace Cathedral (7/17-7/17) |
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Comedy Oakland at Elbo Room Sat Aug 22 7pm Elbo Room Jack London (8/22-8/22) |
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Comedy Oakland at Elbo Room Thu July 23 8pm Elbo Room Jack London (7/23-7/23) |