Sound Theatre To Mount GASLIGHT (ANGEL STREET) in April

This Spring, one of 2018's biggest buzzwords steals the spotlight. By presenting GASLIGHT (ANGEL STREET), Sound Theatre will explore the origins of "gaslighting" at 12th Ave Arts. Teresa Thuman will direct.

ANGEL STREET, as the play was titled for its run in the U.S., was one of Broadway's longest-running plays. Its 1944 film Gaslight earned seven Academy Award nominations - winning Best Picture, landing Ingrid Bergman an Oscar, and launching Angela Lansbury into stardom. Set in the Victorian era, its themes - coercive control, psychological manipulation - are timelier than ever before.

"Several years ago, I started wondering whether it was time to reinvest in the original play or reinvent it for contemporary audiences. We found a way to do both! This play is a thrilling experience in its original theatrical format," said director Teresa Thuman. "The mystery genre is a rarity onstage, and I know from experience that this play is immediate and impactful as live theater. GASLIGHT (ANGEL STREET) also begs a very contemporary conversation and solidifies Sound Theatre's commitment to using diverse casting to reveal new, relevant truths in the classics."

GASLIGHT (ANGEL STREET) is part of Sound Theatre's broader project, with a streaming version available for viewing in June 2022. In July, the play's gold mine of dramaturgical source material will also evolve as "Gaslight Project," which curates projects that explore "gaslighting" from an intersectional lens. Sound Theatre will announce a call for project submissions.

While neither a fully-modern nor exact Victorian replica of Patrick Hamilton's play, Sound Theatre's production will use contemporary framing to explore a "dark tale of deceit and trickery in an enticing, suspenseful way - in the style of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl," teases Thuman.

The term "gaslighting" was shortlisted for Oxford Dictionaries' Word of 2018 ("toxic" earned top billing). In 2019, the film was selected by the U.S. National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance. It remains a zeitgeist that never dies: last month, Saturday Night Live (SNL)spoofed the film noir origins of "gaslighting" in a satire with Will Forte and Kate McKinnon.

Sound Theatre alums comprise GASLIGHT(ANGEL STREET)'s five-person cast: Kathy Hsieh, of ASL MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM ('18) and LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT ('16) and Johnny Patchamatla of CHANGER: RADIO PLAY ('20) will take on leading roles as troubled spouses Bella and Jack Manningham. Hisam Goueli (RULES OF CHARITY, '18), will play the role of Detective Rough.

In supporting roles are Aimee Chou (Nancy), a core member of Sound Theatre, and board member Kara Brown (Elizabeth), from YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU ('18) and THE FOREIGNER ('11).

Design elements are key to the play's storytelling, with the house's architecture essentially being a character. A female-centered team will both reimagine and reconstruct the play's stylized Victorian-era world, including Robin Macartney (Scenic and Props Design), Erin Bednarz (Original Composition and Sound Design), Doris Black (Costume Design), and founding Sound Theatre member Richard Schaefer (Lighting Design).

COVID protocols will be announced leading up to the April 23 press opening. For more information, visit: https://soundtheatrecompany.org/2022-season/gaslight-angel-street/

Performances run April 21 - May 14, 2022.

Captioned Performance: Friday Apr 29 at 7:30 PM
Sensory-friendly performance: Sunday, May 8 at 2 PM
ASL-Interpreted Performances: Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 PM, Sunday, May 1 at 2 PM

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