Lauren Gunderson's Bluegrass Musical THE HEATH Gets Workshop at Synchronicity Theatre

Synchronicity Theatre will present a workshop production of Lauren Gunderson's bluegrass musical The Heath on May 4 and 5, 2017 at 8 pm. For tickets or more information, visit synchrotheatre.com or call 404-484-8636.

The Heath traces the life and lineage of Gunderson's World War II veteran grandfather, who battled dementia, alongside the myth of Shakespeare's King Lear, who grew old, went mad, and wandered out onto the heath. Performed by the playwright with a banjo, this original work is part play, part personal essay, and part banjo musical. The Heath, described by Gunderson as a "living piece of theatre," grapples with birth and death, madness and regret, while celebrating family, connection, music and the power of a good story. "It's kinda' like a Shakespeare hoedown that might make you cry."

Audiences attending the show can receive 10% off their final bill by showing their ticket stubs at Tavernpointe, across the lobby from the theatre. There will also be production-themed drinks and offers during the 2016-2017 season.

IF YOU GO:

Workshop Production of The Heath
Written and Performed by Lauren Gunderson

May 4 and 5, 2017
Show Times:
Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 8pm
Friday, May 5, 2017 at 8 pm

Synchronicity Theatre
One Peachtree Pointe Complex
1545 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30309

Tickets are $25-40 and are available online at synchrotheatre.com.

A workshop production of Lauren Gunderson's new, deeply moving bluegrass musical featuring a woman (the playwright), a man, and a banjo. Interweaving family lore with Shakespeare's King Lear, The Heath grapples with mortality, madness and regret while celebrating life, music and the power of a good story. "It's kinda' like a Shakespeare hoedown that might make you cry."

Synchronicity Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director Rachel May and Managing Director & Artistic Associate Lee Nowell, produces smart, gutsy, high quality theatre that sparks community connections and uplifts the voices of women and girls. Synchronicity supports women artists, forges long-term and effective community partnerships and develops new work. Synchronicity was founded in 1997 by four women with a desire to work collaboratively and bring challenging, meaningful theatre to Atlanta audiences. We now reach nearly 8,000 patrons through our season of plays for adults (Bold Voices) and families (Family Series); community outreach; and educational programming, including our Playmaking for Kids (PFK) summer camps and after school programs and our award-winning Playmaking for Girls (PFG) program. Our intimate theatre in the heart of midtown at Peachtree Pointe became our home in the summer of 2014.

Lauren M. Gunderson is the most produced living playwright in America of 2016, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation's 3-Year Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU's Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her work has been commissioned, produced and developed at companies across the US including South Cost Rep (Emilie, Silent Sky), The Kennedy Center (The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful And Her Dog!), The O'Neill, The Denver Center, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre, Synchronicity, Olney Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Shotgun Players, TheatreWorks, Crowded Fire and more. She co-authored Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley with Margot Melcon. Her work is published at Playscripts (I and You, Exit Pursued By A Bear,The Taming, and Toil And Trouble), Dramatists (Silent Sky, Bauer, Miss Bennet) and Samuel French (Emilie). Her picture book Dr Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon will be released from Two Lions / Amazon in May 2017. LaurenGunderson.com and @LalaTellsAStory.

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