A serendipitous meeting at a Cooperstown bar between Rita Meyer's daughter Laura Moellering and THE CHURCH producers Jamie Leonard and Pamela Rapp led to this fresh take on Connie Lane's 1987 play: The Night They Lit Up Wrigley, which will open on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 8pm with further performances on Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.
The creative team under Direction by Eliza Beckwith uses media and sound design to support actor: Sarah Stewart Chapin in relating the current day relevance of Rita Meyer's experience pursuing her dream of playing professional baseball while at times rebelling and at other times obliging to the societal expectations of her time.
Meyer played shortstop and pitcher for the Peoria Redwings 1946-1949 where she earned the nickname "Slats" because her slick defense and hard-throwing arm reminded people of the St. Louis Cardinal's shortstop, Marty "Slats" Marion.
Eliza Beckwith has directed four plays in Ensemble Studio Theatre's Marathon of One-Act Plays and was E.S.T.'s Managing Director from 1999 to 2001. She is the Co-Artistic Director of New Directions Theater. For NDT: Tiny Bubbles, F-Stop, Hot Air, Triptych, Random Harvest, and the critically acclaimed, The Flid Show. She is a visiting instructor in theatre at Alfred University.
Sarah Stewart Chapin is a recent Yale graduate who has performed in New York, Washington D.C., and regionally. Favorite credits include Fun Home (Medium Alison) with Virginia Stage Company and Tenn (Rose) at the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in L.A. sarahstewartchapin.com.
The Night They Lit Up Wrigley, Thursday, July 18, Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20, 2019, 8pm
Tickets: $20 general admission / $17 young people under 25 years, seniors, and veterans
Tickets can be purchased at THE CHURCH box office beginning at 7pm on day of show, 2381 State Highway 205, Mount Vision, or online at http://www.upsi-ny.com/upcoming-events-news/.
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