Nashville Rep's GOOD MONSTERS Premiere Begins Peformances Today

Nashville Repertory Theatre stages the world premiere of GOOD MONSTERS, a psychological drama centering on an off-duty police officer involved in the shooting of an unarmed teen. GOOD MONSTERS begins its run today, February 13 in Johnson Theater at Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The production will play its final performance on February 27.

"The catalyst for this story," says GOOD MONSTERS playwright Nate Eppler, "is a shocking act of violence: an off-duty officer shoots and kills an unarmed teenage girl. But the play starts after that. The play isn't about the shooting; the play is about the ripples that spread out in all directions from this one violent act. The play is about living in the rubble."

Frank is 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.

This stunning psychological drama 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. NOTE: This play contains intense adult language and sexual situations.

Eppler created GOOD MONSTERS during Nashville Rep's 2013-14 Ingram New Works Project, and in 2015 the script was workshopped further with input from relevant community members. Participants included a police officer, sociology professor, suicide prevention counselor, lawyer, PTSD counselor, journalist, and current and former armed services veterans with the goal of maintaining authenticity and to gage what impact the play was accomplishing. Prodding a strong empathy response over blame was a high priority.

"The workshop experience on this play was like nothing else I've experienced," explainsEppler. "Inviting so many unique points of view into the room and really letting them talk to each other was both incredibly illuminating and genuinely fulfilling. Without a doubt their voices made the play better."

Nashville Rep's cast for GOOD MONSTERS includes Megan Murphy Chambers (Josie),Alexandra Huff (Zero), Nathaniel McIntyre (Frank), R. Alex Murray (Dumptruck),Carey Van Driest (Darlene), and Garris Wimmer (Zell).

Preview performances of GOOD MONSTERS are February 11 and 12, 2016, opening night isSaturday, February 13, and the show runs through February 27. Specific performance dates and times are listed below. Tickets start at $25 for previews and start at $45 for regular run, and can be purchased online at nashvillerep.org or by calling the Box Office at 615-782-4040. Performances of GOOD MONSTERS will be held in Andrew Johnson Theater at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, located at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville.

GOOD MONSTERS is written by Nate Eppler and directed by René D. Copeland, Nashville Rep's Producing Artistic Director. Designers are Gary Hoff (Scenic Designer), Trish Clark (Costume Designer), Darren Levin (Lighting Designer), Ricky Lighthall (Sound Designer), and Colin Peterson (Projections Designer). Technical Director is Tyler Axt, and Fight Coordinator is Eric D. Pasto-Crosby.

The Ingram New Works Project was created by Nashville Rep with the support of co-founder Martha R. Ingram to provide an opportunity for theatre artists to develop new theatre works while in residency at Nashville Rep.

Each season, Nashville Rep welcomes four emerging playwrights and one established playwright into its Ingram New Works Project. The emerging playwrights make up the Ingram New Works Lab, directed by Nashville Rep's Playwright-in-Residence Nate Eppler. The established, award-winning playwright serves as Nashville Rep's Fellow for the season. The Fellow joins the Lab playwrights for a Symposium Week in January, helping critique and shape their work, and serving as a mentor for the emerging playwrights. Then, all the playwrights, including the Fellow, present their newly written work at Nashville Rep's Ingram New Works Festival in May. The Fellow for 2015-16 isRebecca Gilman.

Tuesday, February 2 is the Look-In for GOOD MONSTERS. This event allows audience members to walk into the private world of rehearsal and learn about the creative process of the director, set designer, and costume designer. An excerpt of the play will be performed as it is being shaped in the rehearsal process. Reservations for the February 2LookIn can be made at nashvillerep.org/lookin. LookIns are part of TPAC's InsideOut program.
The LookIn performance may contain strong adult language.

Nashville Rep is a non-profit theatre creating classic and contemporary theatre for Nashville that inspires empathy and prods intellectual and emotional engagement in audiences. The 2015-16 season consists of Rapture, Blister Burn, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, A Christmas Story, GOOD MONSTERS, and Chicago. The season concludes with the Ingram New Works Festival in May, a showcase of new works created in Nashville for the American Theatre.

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