Southern Rep Theatre to Stage ORPHEUS DESCENDING

Southern Rep Theatre is pleased to announce details for its upcoming production of ORPHEUS DESCENDING by Tennessee Williams, opening March 12, directed by Jef Hall-Flavin and featuring Irene Glezos, Thomas Beaudoin, Beth Bartley, and Brenda Currin. This production is presented in partnership with the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival in collaboration with Beth Bartley/Irene Glezos Productions.

Says Southern Rep Theatre Producing Artistic Director Aimée Hayes:

Continuing with our commitment to the Tennessee Williams canon, Southern Rep Theatre is excited to offer this rarely produced yet iconic play. Last seen locally in 1990, it made sense to bring this particular play to the stage now. Rife with brazen lusts and lost loves set against a backdrop of small-town fears and petty jealousies, Williams creates a chaotic but deeply stirring story, one that mirrors our current culture of fear and paranoia. How should a community manage its new members-whether they be immigrants, gentrifiers, or just strangers passing through? What constitutes hospitality and what generates hostility? Audiences will cheer for Lady as she navigates this fraught landscape seeking solace and passion in the arms of Val, one of Williams' fated outsiders. ORPHEUS DESCENDING is directed by the artful Jef Hall-Flavin whose vibrant Williams productions have been seen worldwide. The fantastic UNO Nims Theatre will host this volatile, violent and sensual drama.

Actors Irene Glezos, Thomas Beaudoin, Beth Bartley, and Brenda Currin will return to the roles that they have played in previous productions of ORPHEUS DESCENDING. They bring to Southern Rep's production a rich understanding and command of Tennessee Williams' play. "I am blown away by the electrifying performances of these actors," says director Jef Hall-Flavin, "and I'm thrilled that New Orleans audiences will be able to see Irene Glezos in her fearless, breathtaking portrayal of Lady. Beth Bartley's waifish bravado as Carol Cutrere and Thomas Beaudoin's smoldering sensuality as Val are what memorable performances are made of."

Following this New Orleans run, Glezos, Beaudoin, Bartley, and Currin will reprise their roles in another staging in New York with director Austin Pendleton."I am thrilled to be realizing a dream of doing ORPHEUS DESCENDING in both New Orleans and in New York City," says Bartley. "After the extraordinary experience of working with Aimée Hayes on SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, I couldn't be more excited to collaborate on ORPHEUS DESCENDING, a play that captured my heart at the age of 14 and a passion project of mine since I attended the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival in 2009."

ORPHEUS DESCENDING marks Southern Rep Theatre's first Mainstage performance in residence at the University of New Orleans. UNO's Robert E. Nims Theatre is the ideal venue for Tennessee Williams' large-scale work, calling for a cast of nearly twenty actors and an expressionistic production design. Students from UNO's Department of Film and Theatre will gain valuable professional experience as members of the supporting cast. Southern Rep will also be working closely with members of the UNO faculty including costume designer Tony French, whose costumes for this staging will be used in the subsequent production in New York City.

The UNO campus is easily accessible from all parts of the Greater New Orleans area via the interstate to Elysian Fields. There is free and ample parking for UNO's Performing Arts Center located directly across the street from the building.

Susan Spicer's Mondo, located at 900 Harrison Avenue, is offering Southern Rep Theatre patrons a special $35, three-course prix fixe menu before performances. Limited reservations are available for Thursdays through Saturdays at 5:30, and 6:00, and 6:30 PM by calling 504-224-2633. Mondo also accepts guests on a walk-in basis.

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