Photo Coverage: Atlantic Theater Company Celebrates Opening Night of THE PURPLE LIGHTS OF JOPPA ILLINOIS
By: Jennifer Broski Jun. 08, 2016
Atlantic Theater Company presents the New York premiere of The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois, written and directed by Obie Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Rapp. The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois features William Apps (Wolf in the River), Connor Barrett(Finer Noble Gases), Susan Heyward (A Trip to Bountiful) and Katherine Reis (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
Ellis Shook (Apps) lives alone in a small duplex apartment in Paducah, Kentucky. He works nights buffing floors, keeps to himself - and always remembers to take his medication. But when two teenage girls arrive at his doorstep one autumn afternoon, their visit will force him to confront a tragic past while also offering him a glimpse at hope.
Adam Rapp returns to Atlantic where he staged the world premiere of his play Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling. His plays include Finer Noble Gases, Nocturne, Faster, Blackbird, Essential Self-Defense and American Sligo. Rapp is a playwright, director and novelist whose work has been seen Off-Broadway in The Metal Children, Ghosts in the Cottonwoods and Red Light Winter for which he received an Obie Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The world premiere production of his latest play Wolf in the River is currently playing Off-Broadway at The Flea Theater.
William Apps originated his role in the original production of The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois and is currently appearing Off-Broadway in Adam Rapp's Wolf in the River. Also an original cast member, Connor Barrett has appeared in Rapp's plays Finer Noble Gases and The Metal Children. Susan Heyward appeared on Broadway in The Trip to Bountiful and Off-Broadway in Ruined. Katherine Reis has been featured in the Netflix television series "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and on the New York Stage in the Off-Broadway revivals of Carrie: The Musical and Bring It On: The Musical.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski
Annie Parisse, Paul Sparks, and guest
Connor Barrett, William Apps, Katherine Reis, Susan Heyward
Connor Barrett, William Apps, Adam Rapp, Katherine Reis, Susan Heyward
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