Autumn wind is not the only thing bringing a chill to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park as a stage adaptation of Margaret Atwood's thriller Alias Grace opens the 2019-20 Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre season. This spine-tingling production runs Sept. 14 through Oct. 27, with opening night on Sept. 19.
Adapted for the stage by playwright Jennifer Blackmer, true crime lore and psychological drama combine in
Alias Grace for an immersive theatrical experience of the best-selling, award-winning novel of the same title. Atwood's provocative and mysterious story of a young woman who is accused of murdering her employer and his lover combines with haunting production elements to bring this chilling tale alive onstage.
Inspired by a real double homicide in the 1840s, this evocative mystery tells the story of the accused killer, Grace Marks -- who has sworn that she has no memory of the events. Fifteen years later, psychologist Simon Jordan begins interviewing her to gradually unlock her memories and soon finds himself plummeting down a frightening path of shocking revelations.
"The story is structured around memory, amnesia and the mysteries of the mind," says
Blake Robison, Playhouse artistic director and director of the show. "The book delves into those mysteries through language and metaphor. In the theatre, we can take advantage of our intimate stage to pry into the characters' impulses and inner thoughts. Every little gesture or movement is meaningful when the actor and audience are so close. To me, it feels like a story that was always meant for the stage."
Atwood is one of the foremost prolific writers of our time, having penned novels, essays, poetry and short stories throughout her illustrious career. Well-known, award-winning works include The Handmaid's Tale, The Blind Assassin and Cat's Eye, many of which have been adapted for the stage and screen.
For more information on
Alias Grace, visit
cincyplay.com.
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