Southren Rep Closes IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) 9/10

Southern Rep's 24th Season begins with a Regional Premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award Nominated play IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY), directed by Southern Rep Artistic Director Aimée Hayes. The young wife of a doctor observes his patients and their treatments, yet still yearns for his attention. In this funny, provocative play, Dr. and Mrs. Givings discover that love can be as electrifying as flying a kite in a storm.

"We wanted to share another Sarah Ruhl play with our NOLA audience because folks just enjoyed the hell out of THE CLEAN HOUSE. Through IN THE NEXT ROOM, Ruhl continues to explore themes of love and passion with her signature oddball humor and almost vaudevillian action sequences. I responded to this play as a woman who grew up when Our Bodies, Our Selves was a must-read. Before the advent of the all-knowing internet, the authors proposed that there should be an unself-conscious joy in being a woman. Today that seems almost unbearably corny - but step back to1883 before self-help books and the World Wide Web. Most women were left to discover themselves through fearful old wives tales and whispered cautionary stories about their bodies and sexuality. IN THE NEXT ROOM allows us to follow one woman's path as she demands love, experiences loss, and creates a sexual freedom for herself as well as her very uptight and disconnected husband. By the end of the play he discards everything in order to gain back her trust and affection." - Aimée Hayes

IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) is set in a well-to-do town in the 1880's. Electricity is a new invention, and is still a novel household item. In the home of Dr. and Mrs. Givings, candles are cautiously abandoned for the use of electric lamps. Perhaps more importantly, the technology allows for the use of unique machinery in the Doctor's "operating theater" where he treats the locals for "hysteria" using one of his machines. While his wife listens surreptitiously from the parlor, and greets the patients, themes of love, sex, jealously and curiosity are brought to the forefront. The central role of the eavesdropping Catherine Givings will be played by Katherine McClain, and her husband, the all too serious Dr. Givings, will be portrayed by Shad Willingham, supported by a cast that includes Kesha Bullard, Lucy Faust, Clint Johnson, Jason Kirkpatrick, and Morrey McElroy.

"A woman who has never been allowed to listen to the music of her own body teaches her husband to discover the beauty in his own...a spirited and stimulating new comedy." - Charles Isherwood, The New York Times
The Regional Premiere of IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) opens September 8th and runs through September 26th, with previews on the 8th, 9th, and 10th. Shows are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Tickets for previews are $20, tickets for opening night are $85, tickets for Thursday and Sunday shows are $29, and tickets for Friday and Saturday shows are $35. Southern Rep also has Student Rush tickets available for $10 at the door 15 minutes before the start of the show.

What's the Opening Night Experience? Give your night out an upgrade! Join us for our not-to-be-missed gala receptions with plentiful food and drink on hand, the chance to mingle with the artists, enjoy live music and get great deals on pre-fixe dinner options.

For more information, or to reserve your tickets, please call 504-522-6545 or go online to www.SouthernRep.com.

Southern Rep enters its 24th season as the region's premiere professional theatre, continuing to produce bold world and regional premieres under the artistic leadership of Aimée Hayes, with Managing Director, Marieke Gaboury and Associate Artistic Director, Mark Routhier. In addition to an exciting Mainstage season that takes us on a journey from the dining room table to a 19th Century doctor's examining table to a magical realm inhabited by mythical creatures, Southern Rep at Le Chat Noir offers a Second Stage season of eclectic, smart, silly and audacious theatrical fare. Southern Rep continues to offer educational programs such as free student matinees,
$10 student rush tickets and Academy SRT; as well as providing an artistic home to new works in development in the annual New Play Bacchanal.

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