Metropolitan Playhouse Closes UNCLE TOM'S CABIN 12/12

Metropolitan Playhouse presents a revival of Uncle Tom's Cabin, adapted by George Aiken from the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe. First presented in Troy in 1852, and later in so many versions and variations that it still holds the record for most-often performed American drama, Uncle Tom's Cabin now receives its first professional production in the city since 1997 at Metropolitan's home, 220 E 4th Street, from November 13th - December 12th, 2010.

Uncle Tom's Cabin begins with the flight of slaves Eliza and George to freedom for themselves and their young son. Meanwhile, "Uncle" Tom remains behind, where he will be sold to pay a plantation owner's debts and preserve the estate and the families living there. As Eliza and George struggle north, Tom Heads south and encounters the cherubic Litte Eva, the disaffected St. Clare, the unyielding Miss Ophelia, and the incorrigible Topsy. Interpolated into the original story are clownish Yankees-Gumption Cute and Deacon Perry-but an unrelenting fate consigns Tom to "dark places", farther down river in the merciless hands of Simon Legree.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's popular novel was often staged before the actor George L. Aiken adapted it for G. C. Howard's Boston stock company, but his melodramatic triumph outshone and outlasted the others. In New York, where it opened at the National Theater and later became a staple at Barnum's Museum, it unseated The Drunkard in 1858 as the most popular American play ever performed. In later years, stage adaptations mutated into song and dance spectacles-"Tom Shows"-with live animals and technologically extravagant sensation scenes. Still later, as "Uncle Tom" became a euphemism for passive acceptance of abuse and betrayal of one's own people, the originally progressive novel was lambasted (as by James Baldwin) for an inherent racism, and the play was defacto banned from the stage. New, deconstructed adaptations appeared in the late 70's, and in 1997, the Mint Theater's production sought to "reclaim Tom's good name" in a sincere rendering of Aiken's script. Metropolitan returns to this source with a new production of the old play in a thoroughly contemporary presentation and a new vision of its power for penetrating America's conflicted relationship to racial equality. Says Artistic Director Alex Roe, "the production emphasizes our collective ownership of an inalienably American play that is at once disturbing and inspiring, clearly of its own time and yet deeply evocative in our own."

In the Metropolitan production, 10 actors play both chorus and leads under Alex Roe's direction. Mr. Roe is Artistic Director of Metropolitan, and his productions include the NYIT Award nominated Return of Peter Grimm, The Contrast, Year One of the Empire, Denial, and The Octoroon. The production stars Lorenzo Scott as Tom, Marcie Henderson as Eliza, Richard Waits as George, Rick Delaney as St. Clare, Alex Marshall Brown at Topsy, Alexandra Cremer as Ophelia, Helen Highfield as Eva, Peter Tedeschi as Phineas Fletcher, J. M. McDonough as Marks, and Dan Snow as Simon Legree. Lighting Design by Christopher Weston (The Contrast; Under the Gaslight; The Return of Peter Grimm, Dodsworth, The Drunkard) and Costumes by Sidney Fortner (Under the Gaslight; The Return of Peter Grimm, The Drunkard.) Fight Choreography is by Scott Barrow.

Metropolitan Playhouse's 19th season explores Stereotypes in American theater and culture. The Playhouse explores America's theatrical heritage through forgotten plays of the past and new plays of American historical and cultural moment. Called an "indispensible East Village institution" by nytheatre.com and "theatrical archaeologist extraordinaire" by Back Stage), Metropolitan has earned accolades from The New York Times, The Village Voice, Back Stage and nytheater.com for its ongoing productions that illuminate who we are by revealing where we have come from. Recent productions include The Drunkard, Dodsworth, NYIT award winning The Return of Peter Grimm, Under the Gaslight, The Contrast, Federal Theater Project's Power, It Pays to Advertise, Year One of the Empire, The Pioneer: 5 plays by Eugene O'Neill, Denial and The Melting Pot, as well as the Alphabet City and East Village Chronicles series.

Uncle Tom's Cabin begins five previews on Saturday, November 13th and runs through Sunday, December 12th.
Shows are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 3pm.
There will be a Pay-What-You-Will performance on Monday, November 15th at 7:30 pm.
There will be two additional matinées Saturday, December 4th and December 11th, at 3:00 pm.

There will be no performances Wednesday, November 23rd or Thursday, November 24th.

Tickets at the door are $25 for general admission, $18 for students/seniors, and $10 for children. Advance purchase prices are $20 for general admission, $15 for students, seniors and Previews, and $10 for Children under 18.

To purchase tickets online visit www.metropolitanplayhouse.org, or call 212 995 5302.

 

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