Redwood's THE OLD SETTLER opens at Amun Ra for 5/13-29 run

John Henry Redwood's The Old Settler, directed by Kenetha carr, runs May 13-29 at the Amun Ra Theatre Playhouse, 2508 Clifton Avenue, in North Nashville.

It's Harlem in the spring of 1943. Elizabeth and Quilly are sisters of a "mature" age sharing their quiet lives together, but when they take in Husband Witherspoon, a handsome young boarder, their entire world changes abruptly. Husband, fresh from down South and adjusting to life in the big city, is on a desperate search for his missing girlfriend, but ends up finding love in the most unlikely of places-with Elizabeth, who some have been calling an "Old Settler" (a 1940's term for an older single woman with no prospects for marriage). Told with heartwarming sincerity, humor and a touch of poetry, The Old Settler paints a poignant picture of two women testing the bonds of sisterhood and finding the strength and forgiveness only family can offer.

The Old Settler is the second show in ART's "This Far By Faith" 10th Anniversary Season, and for artistic director jeff obafemi carr [sic], its selection was a no-brainer.

"This is one of the most important plays of the 20th Century," said carr, who starred in the 1998 production of the play at Portland Center Stage Company, which had the distinction of being the one production actually directed by the late playwright John Henry Redwood. "John Henry
Redwood was not only a genius, but very much a mentor to me. He was a prolific and productive
playwright, director and actor. I knew that one day I'd get around to showcasing this amazing play. I just wish he'd have been able to be sitting in the front row. Who knows, maybe we'll rope off a chair in his honor."

John Henry Redwood, a tall, baritone-voiced actor known for his performances in several August Wilson plays and film and television projects including Mr. Holland's Opus and Law & Order, took up acting late in life while studying for a PhD in Religion. He died at age 60 in 2003, after writing an impressive body of provocative plays including A Sunbeam, No Niggers/NoJews/No Dogs and his most popular one, The Old Settler, a regional favorite that was eventually made into a PBS film starring real life sisters Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen.

The cast includes familiar ART faces Alicia Haymer (Elizabeth) and Keisha Cunningham (Quilly), ART newcomer James Randolph (Husband) and Tia Ferrell-Lee (Lou Bessie), in her professional acting debut.

Shows will run Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. through May 29. Sunday matinees feature a post show discussion with the cast and director. Tickets may be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com or reserved by calling 1-800-838-3006. For local information, call (615) 329-4228.

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