Nashville Rep Hosts Staged Reading of Eppler's GOOD MONSTERS

Playwright Nate Eppler's Good Monsters - slated for a full production by Nashville Repertory Theatre in February 2016 - will be given a staged reading next Tuesday night, November 3, at 7 p.m.

As Nashville Rep continues to workshop Good Monsters before its mainstage premiere, Tuesday's reading will allow members of the public to hear the script and offer input as Nashville Rep assesses what messages and situations in the script make the biggest impact with its audiences.

The cast of Good Monsters includes Megan Murphy Chambers (Josie), David Compton (Zell), Alexandra Huff (Zero), Carey Van Driest (Darlene), Nathaniel McIntyre (Frank), R. Alex Murray (Dumptruck). Good Monsters is directed by Nashville Rep's producing artistic director Rene Copeland.

Good Monsters tells the story of Frank, a Gulf War veteran and police officer who moonlights as a security guard to make ends meet. Safira was a shoplifter. It was dark. Frank thought she had a gun. She didn't. Now Frank's the guy who shot an unarmed teenager, with ramifications for his wife, his best friend, Safira's father, and a media spin doctor looking for a story. While he waits for the grand jury, Safira haunts Frank every night and soon she begins to make terrifying demands of him.

Described as a "stunning psychological drama" that explores how human beings maneuver through earth-shattering tragedy, with intense focus on the human side of a situation gone horribly wrong. While challenging you to question your own preconceptions of good and bad, whatever they may be, this stirring and emotional play transcends predictable notions on both sides of the political divide, drawing humanity to the forefront.

Eppler wrote Good Monsters as part of The Rep's Ingram New Works Project two years ago. The situations and controversies in the plot were met with strong debate and emotion by those who attended the earlier readings, which excited the artists involved with the script, prompting them to think the story will engage the audience. Good Monsters contains adult themes, a lot of adult language, and is for mature audiences.

The November 3 reading of Good Monsters will include a post-show discussion with audience, cast, playwright, and director and is free for Nashville Rep members. Donations are welcome from other attendees. Reservations should be made online at nashvillerep.org/good-monsters-reading. The reading and post-show discussion will be held in Nashville Rep's rehearsal hall: Studio A at Nashville Public Television, located at 161 Rains Avenue.

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