LAB Theater Project's THE ROOSTER'S TALE Closes This Weekend

Closing this weekend is The Rooster's Tale, a new play by Paula Fell. Based on "true" events in Medieval England, this riotous play uses timeless humor (with a bit of buffoonery), classic wordplay, and a very unlikely event to illustrate one humble family's path to triumph through some very contemporary problems.

California-based playwright Paula Fell's previous works have been produced and read in theaters from coast to coast, including New York, Minneapolis, Santa Fe, and up and down the West Coast. This is her Florida debut. The Rooster's Tale is directed by long-time Tampa director, actor, and teacher Caroline Jett and features local actors Rick Fernandez, Karena Stanley, Nathan Juliano, Ursula Trasorras, Larry Corwin, and Rachel Stidham. LAB founder and technical director Owen Robertson provided the set and lighting design, sound design by Rick Anthony and Jillian Rois designed the costumes.

The playwright states, "With a nod to the bawdiness of The Canterbury Tales and a heavy dose of subversive humor, The Rooster's Tale addresses the dangers of being different, cancel culture, and how a rooster lays an egg."

Medieval peasants Margery and Peter have their hands full keeping up the farm, especially with the village full of vile rumors about their sweet but naïve son, and with their daughter, a nun with a bad attitude and a worse glower. When Margery's favorite rooster, Henry, unexpectedly (to say the least) and mysteriously lays an egg, the bloviating local mayor insists on putting Henry - and the egg! - on trial for consorting with the devil! Can the poor couple act fast enough to save their farm, protect their children (and Henry), and maybe make a little extra on the side?

"When I first read The Rooster's Tale," said director Caroline Jett, "I actually startled my dogs several times as I burst out laughing. From that moment, I wanted LAB to produce it, and I wanted to direct it. Paula has written a script that is a beautiful blend of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Monty Python: smart, clever, silly, absurd, and bawdy. Then to find out the play is based on a true story only cemented my desire to see it performed. And yet, at its core, the story deals with gender, orientation, judgment, and superstition. I know audiences coming out for this witty evening will burst out laughing, finding it as quick and funny as I do."

The Rooster's Tale closes this weekend, March 16-19. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday matinee at 3:00 pm. Taped performances will also be available on demand from March 16 thru 30. Audience members who purchase on-demand tickets will be emailed a link to the video site. LAB Theater Project reserves the right to adjust the number of seats available in response to CDC guidance, to protect the health and well-being of our audiences, cast, and crew.

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