3PS Productions readies workshop production of Nate Eppler's LONG WAY DOWN

Lauren Shouse directs 3Ps Productions' upcoming workshop production of award-winning playwright Nate Eppler's Long Way Down, described as "a new dark comedy"starring Rachel Agee, David Compton, Rebekah Durham and Jennifer Richmond, running May 6-28 at Street Theatre Company, 1933 Elm Hill Pike.

Set just outside Nashville, Long Way Down tells the story of Maybelline and Karen, two southern women who decide to kidnap babies from undeserving parents. When they run out of room for all of the babies, one of the women decides there is enough room for all of the babies in Heaven.

Developed at Tennessee Repertory Theatre as part of the 2010 Ingram New Works Playwriting Residency, Long Way Down was first presented as a staged reading at last year's Ingram New Works Festival. Compton reprises his role in the staged reading in the cast of the workshop production.

The upcoming workshop is the next step in the play's development, according to producer Johnny Peppers: "Most plays you get to see in Nashville are at the end of their journey. This is an amazing new play by a very talented local author. I don't want to see it after it's had a successful run in New York; I want to help it get there. Nashville audiences ought to be the first to see this play, not the last."

The decision to mount the play in Nashville came after last year's successful staged reading at the Ingram New Works Festival. "The response from the reading was that the audience wanted to see this play staged as soon as possible. It was an overwhelming response" says Lauren Shouse, director of the original reading and now the director of the workshop. "There is something very special about hearing a new play read aloud in front of an audience for the first time, and now to be able to do a full production - it's a thrill."

Eppler (who won the First Night Award for 2010's Outstanding Original Work for Rear Widow, which he co-wrote with Dietz Osborne and which was originally produced at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre) originally began work on the play at the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive and developed the play under the tutelage of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn as part of the 2010 Ingram New Works Lab in Nashville. This workshop production offers a rare opportunity for Nashville audiences to be a part of this play's development.

"A brand new play is an exciting thing to be in the audience for," says Eppler, who currently serves as playwright-in-residence at Tennessee Rep, "You never know what you're going to get. New plays are very much about what the audience brings to the production. And that's what I'm most excited about. I can't wait to have a conversation about this play with the community."

As a part of the month-long run of the play, 3Ps and Street Theatre are sponsoring a talk-back series that will allow audiences to talk directly to the cast and creative team about the play and the process of brining it to life onstage.

"The talk-backs will be really interesting with this show because of the personal nature of the show's topics," says Jennifer Richmond, who plays the character of Maybelline. "Everyone will have a different experience. The play has some difficult themes and tackles issues that some people feel very strongly about and if they are willing to open themselves up and examine themselves, they'll have a richer experience."

The play tackles very serious subject matter with a darkly comic spirit: "Audiences are going to laugh and feel disturbed at the same time, which is one of my favorite emotions," says Rachel Agee, who plays Karen. "It may be a little uncomfortable at times, but audiences are going to be surprised at both the plot turns and at how much they enjoy it - dysfunction and all."

All performances of Long Way Down are at Street Theatre Company, 1933 Elm Hill Pike just off of Briley Parkway. The play opens Friday, May 6 and runs through Saturday, May 28. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday performances at 5 p.m.

Long Way Down is intended for adult audiences. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Tickets are now on sale at www.ticketsnashville.com . For further details about the production, visit the website at www.3PSproductions.com.

Pictured (clockwise from top left): David Compton, Rebekah Durham, Rachel Agee and Jennifer Richmond

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