Taproot Theatre Presents West Coast Premiere of BROWNIE POINTS, 5/20

"Brownie Points began with the question, ‘what is more powerful: the shared experience of motherhood or the divisiveness of race?'" says playwright Janece Shaffer of her new dramedy, making its West Coast premiere at Taproot Theatre this spring. Directed by Karen Lund, Brownie Points opens on May 20 and runs through June 18, with previews on May 18 and 19.

The girls' club pledge never promised camping would be easy...for the moms. In the late night mayhem of a backwoods campout a storm rages outside, while a squall builds inside the cabin. Set against tranquil mountains, the close quarters, diverse backgrounds and differing walks of life collide, spurring hilarious but meaningful conversations about race, religion and parenting.

"I love how this play gets to the heart of sensitive issues, by couching them in the comic moments of our everyday lives, making them accessible," said Lund. "It basically comes down to what's more important, people's differences in things like race and religion, or what they have in common, which in the case of these women is the struggle to raise their kids the best way they know how."

Brownie Points premiered to sold-out crowds at Theatrical Outfit in February 2010. Shaffer won the Gene-Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award for Brownie Points in November (she also won the award in 2009 for Managing Maxine). In addition to writing, Shaffer serves as director of communications for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Shaffer will visit Taproot Theatre for the week of Brownie Points' opening.

Taproot Theatre's production includes a talented cast of Karen Ann Daniels, Faith Russell, Nikki Visel and Casi Wilkerson. The production team includes scenic and sound designer Mark Lund, costume designer Sarah Burch Gordon and lighting designer Jody Briggs. Anne Hitt serves as stage manager and Sonja Lowe as dramaturg.

Following Brownie Points, Taproot Theatre presents Something's Afoot, running July 13 through August 13.

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