Chester Theatre Company Presents TO THE MOON AND BACK Beginning This Week

CTC's 2022 season will close with the World Premiere of To the Moon and Back, written by Darcy Parker Bruce, and starring Tara Franklin (Tiny Beautiful Things, On the Exhale, Sister Play) and Raye Birk (Curve of Departure) as a daughter and father with history as murky as the dark side of the moon. Ace alternately maps craters searching for...something, and flips burgers at her day job as she tries to outrun the shadows of the past she shares with her dad, Major, who spends his days watching gameshows from his lawn chair-on the moon. The production also stars Pauli Pontrelli in their fourth production at CTC. Pontrelli's past productions include I and You, The Aliens (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award), and Curve of Departure, also with Raye Birk.

Keira Naughton, nominated for a Berkshire Theatre Critics' Award for 2019's Curve of Departure, returns to direct her third show for CTC. She also staged last season's Title and Deed.

This production, which runs August 11 - 21, was commissioned through a gift from Fran Henry and Walter Korzec. Henry is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and the founder of Stop It Now!, an organization that prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families, and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. More information on Stop It Now! can be found at Stopitnow.org.

"I love how Darcy Parker Bruce has created a story full of light and fantasy (set on the moon no less!) while making space for the exploration of such difficult and frightening experiences," said Chester Theatre Company's Producing Artistic Director Daniel Elihu Kramer. "Darcy's play shows all of us the special power of theatre to use imagination to understand our world and our lives."

Lara Dubin, CTC's resident lighting designer, designs lights, Travis George (Mary's Wedding, On the Exhale, others) returns to design scenery, Charles Schoonmaker designs costumes, and Nathan Leigh designs sound. Stage Manager Kevin Jinghong Zhu makes his Chester debut.

All performances will take place in the intimate setting of Chester's Historic Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Road, Chester, MA. Individual ticket prices are $52.50. Chester and Middlefield residents, members of the military and their families, ConnectorCare enrollees, and those holding EBT/SNAP cards may purchase discounted tickets by calling the box office. Student Rush $10 tickets are available day of show. Single tickets and season subscriptions may be purchased online at chestertheatre.org, or by phone at 413.354.7771. Special rates for groups of ten or more are available.

CTC will be requiring proof of vaccination and masking for entry. See the website for details.

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