Tracy Letts' THE MINUTES To Have October Northeast Indiana Premiere In Fort Wayne

The scene is a City Council meeting in Big Cherry, a small city that could represent any place in the United States. The play is about unmasking secrets that could undo life as they know it. It is a mystery, a very funny dark comedy, and becomes a "methodically plotted horror show," as Variety noted.

It is the Northeast Indiana premiere of "The Minutes," brilliantly written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tracy Letts. It has been termed a masterpiece and intensely compelling.

The play premieres October 4 at 7 p.m. at the University of Saint Francis North Campus auditorium. Shows will be on Friday, October 4, Saturday, October 5, Sunday, October 6, Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows are at 7 p.m.; Sundays are at 3 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at Artstix and through the TimeVista website at timevistatheater.org.

The performing cast is a mix of veteran actors and real, former city council and school board members. Veteran Fort Wayne actors include Thomas Wilson, Ennis Brown II, Kristen Holt, Joe Hyndman, Jami Sons Beard, Rod Pasko, Jesse Holt, and Jen Poiry Prough.

Don Schmidt, the longest-serving Fort Wayne City Council member, plays the longest-serving council member of Big Cherry. Mark GiaQuinta was also a member of the Fort Wayne City Council and an at-large Fort Wayne Community Schools Board of School Trustees member. Mitch Harper, a former city council member and state legislator, plays another Big Cherry Council member.

It is also the premiere production from TimeVista Theater, Inc. This new theatre company grew from discussions with Anthony Award-winning actor Julie Donnell and a newer theater veteran, Mitch Harper. TimeVista Theater's subheading is "Think History." Donnell and Harper envision presenting works that encourage civil discussion about the nature of history and institutions.

Julie Donnell was married to At-Large City Council member John Shoaff, who passed away this past winter. Mitch Harper and his wife, Dawn Wilson, often had dinner with Julie and John.

Mitch Harper said, "We had the first reading of this play last October at Julie and John's house. Don Schmidt was one part, and Ben Eisbart read another, both of which have a wickedly funny delivery. This group of long-experienced actors and then persons who knew the setting of a City Council meeting intimately mixed well. We knew we had a powerful way of presenting a powerful, thought-provoking play."

The audience will bring their own viewpoints and perspectives on "The Minutes," which is exactly the aim.

To post a comment, you must register and login.