TN Shakespeare Co. Presents Salon: JOHN GRISHAM, ARKANSAS RAINMAKER

Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC), the Mid-South's professional classical theatre, returns to its popular Southern Literary Salon for a look at the Jonesboro native and attorney-turned-master of the legal thriller: John Grisham.

TSC presents John Grisham: Arkansas Rainmaker at Thayne and Anne Muller's inviting English home in East Memphis on Friday, February 9 from 6:00-8:00 pm.

The evening features fun Southern food, conversation, 45 minutes or so of readings from Mr. Grisham's works, and a drink or two of the author's liking: "Drink the wines from the top shelf," he counsels.

Tickets for the Grisham Salon only are $55 and include all of the above.

Curated and directed by TSC resident artist Stephanie Shine and read by actors Michael Khanlarian, Carmen-maria Mandley, Shaleen Cholera, and Merit Koch, Arkansas Rainmaker will employ text from Mr. Grisham's works, likely including his first novel, A Time to Kill, as well as The Chamber, Gray Mountain, Calico Joe, and The Rooster Bar.

Mr. Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1955, and became a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer in Southaven, Mississippi after graduating from Ole Miss. He also served in that state's House of Representatives for eight years. While practicing law, he practiced at his hobby: writing. After 30 rejection letters for his first effort, the novel was finally published with a modest first print. Far from discouraged, he immediately began his second novel, which ended up being known as The Firm. Since that novel spent 47 weeks on the NYT bestseller list and became the best-seller of 1991, Mr. Grisham has written one novel per year. Of those, nine have been adapted into films, including The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and The Firm. He also wrote an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. There are currently over 300 million John Grisham books in print worldwide.

"I don't start a novel until I have lived with the story for awhile to the point of actually writing an outline, and after a number of books I've learned that the more time I spend on the outline the easier the book is to write," says Mr. Grisham. "And if I cheat on the outline, I get in trouble with the book. In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard."

Box Office Information

General Admission tickets for $55 are on sale now, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm at Tennessee Shakespeare Company, 7950 Trinity Road, Memphis 38018; or by calling 901-759-0604, or by going on-line to www.tnshakespeare.org. Tickets include all entertainment, light fare, and libations.

Free parking. No refunds or exchanges. Credit card charges require a $1 per-ticket fee. The cast and schedule are subject to change with notice. The address for the Mullers' house will be given out only to patrons once tickets have been sold.

About Tennessee Shakespeare Company

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional 501(c)(3) theatre and education organization which performs the plays of William Shakespeare seasonally; performs classical and Southern writers seasonally; and provides innovative, year?round educational and training programming.

TSC was founded in 2008 by Memphian Dan McCleary as the city's first and only professional, classical theatre and education organization. On August 31, TSC purchased outright the former home of Ballet Memphis, which TSC will remodel into the state's first and only permanent home for professional, year-round Shakespeare performance, education, and training.

Now in its tenth season, TSC has produced 40 site-specific plays and events for over 45,000 patrons in its nine years. Its innovative Education program has reached 120 schools across seven states, totaling over 132,000 student interactions.

TSC now performs and teaches every month of the year, and annually plays to over 10,000 patrons annually, tours to 5?6 southern states with its education shows, and is welcomed into at least 80 schools. TSC's education program has achieved a high regional and national profile. The program has been endorsed by Shelby County Schools, Germantown Municipal Schools, Collierville Municipal schools, and the National Endowment for the Arts (one of just 40 U.S. theatres to be acknowledged).

TSC's generous season sponsors include FedEx; the family of Ernest and Pat Kelly; Nancy R. Copp; Independent Bank; Tennessee Arts Commission; Ann and Wellford Tabor; Barbara B. Apperson Angel Fund; International Paper; Evans/Petree, P.C.; International Paper; Arts Midwest; and The National Endowment for the Arts. TSC's season is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

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