People's Light Welcomes Jennifer Childs in I WILL NOT GO GENTLY

People's Light presents I Will Not Go Gently, the latest award-winning, one-woman show from Philadelphia's queen of comedy, Jennifer Childs. In the style of Anna Deavere Smith and Lily Tomlin, with original songs by Childs and Christopher Colucci, this outrageous tour de force introduces a cadre of colorful characters, like music maven Sierra Mist, who straddle the gap between past and future-deadly sincere, impossibly hopeful, and ready to rock. A comedic musical journey across the tricky terrain of middle age, I Will Not Go Gently storms across the Steinbright Stage in Malvern from March 21 through April 15, 2018.

I Will Not Go Gently debuted in 2016 at 1812 Productions, the all-comedy theatre company where Childs serves as Producing Artistic Director. Childs felt compelled to create I Will Not Go Gently when she turned 47 years old, "and realized that half my life was over!" she says. "I walked around with that in my mind, and started to look at the world differently, and to pay attention a bit more.

"When I was younger, I thought that at 47 you must know what you're doing, right?" she laughs. "I didn't realize that it's as uncertain an age as any other, the questions you're asking are just different. I really wanted to give voice to those questions, especially from a woman's perspective, because I think women can become invisible at this age."

Childs creates multiple characters in the production, including suburban mom Abby and rock star Sierra. "Abby and Sierra are two sides of me, and so together they are the heart of the show," she says. "Abby lives a very private life and Sierra lives a very public one. That tension between how we deal with our age out in the world, and how we deal with it at 3:30 am in the privacy of our own living rooms, was really interesting to me."

"I hope audiences will find themselves in one of the characters," Childs says. "I hope they laugh. I hope they go home and sing like rock stars in their kitchens."

Abigail Adams, People's Light Artistic Director and CEO, says, "We're presenting I Will Not Go Gently because Jen is a rare talent: funny, heartfelt, generous, completely eccentric, and scarily smart. For years we've tried to entice her to get on a train and come to Malvern. May this be the first of many visits."

Jennifer Childs wrote the script and performs solo in the production. She composed the original music alongside People's Light regular Christopher Colucci (Morning's at Seven, Moon over Buffalo) who also designs sound. Philadelphia theatre veteran Harriet Power directs. Company member Rosemarie McKelvey (Aladdin: A Musical Panto, Richard III) designs costumes. Lance Kniskern, current Technical Director at 1812 Productions and former People's Light Master Carpenter and Scene Shop Foreman, designs the set. Additional returning guests include video designer Jorge Cousineau (Aladdin: A Musical Panto, Richard III), lighting designer Lily Fossner (Loudon Wainwright III's Surviving Twin, The Road: My Life with John Denver), and stage manager Thomas E. Shotkin (Sense and Sensibility, Row After Row)

BIOS

Jennifer Childs Playwright & Performer
People's Light debut. Theatre Includes: Co-Founder (with Pete Pryor) and Producing Artistic Director of 1812 Productions. Creator of 17 original works of comedic theater for 1812 including: The Carols (Book/Lyrics/ Direction), This Is the Week That Is (Head-writer/Director - 11 years), To the Moon (Writer), It's My Party: The Women and Comedy Project (Writer/Director), Why I'm Scared of Dance (Writer/Performer), Double Down (Writer/Director), Always a Lady (Writer/Performer), Cherry Bomb (Book/Lyrics/Direction). Other performing credits include: The Happiness Lecture, The Laramie Project (PTC), Red Herring, Dex and Julie Sittin' in a Tree (Arden), Spin and Escape From Happiness (Wilma), Why I'm Scared of Dance (City Theatre Pittsburgh, Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin, Act II Playhouse, Delaware Theatre Company). Love to Scott and Lily.

Harriet Power Director
People's Light debut. Theatre Includes: Recent directing: The Brownings (Orbiter 3/FringeArts), Ironbound, In A Dark House (Simpatico), I Will Not Go Gently, Why I'm Scared of Dance (1812 Productions). Associate Artistic Director at Act II Playhouse, 2008-12: Mystery of Irma Vep, Boeing-Boeing, Sylvia, Pride of Parnell Street, The Tempest, et al. She's directed new plays at RADA (London), New Dramatists, PlayPenn, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, West Coast Playwrights, Iowa Playwrights Festival, International Women Playwrights Festival. Artistic Director of Venture Theatre, Philadelphia's multiracial theatre, 1994-98. Awards include 3 Barrymore nominations for "Outstanding Direction," winning for Angels in America: Perestroika. This season's world-premiere directing: Sam Henderson's The Brownings, John Yearley's Eight Minutes, Twenty Seconds (Temple PlayFest), Seth Rozin's Human Rites (InterAct), Jessica Bedford's Splinter and Crack (Juniper Productions). Harriet is thrilled to collaborate with Jen and this creative team.

CONNECT, ENGAGE, INTERACT AT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

ACCESSIBILITY & ENGAGEMENT

Open Caption performances of I Will Not Go Gently will be April 11 at 2 & 7:30pm and April 15 at 2pm. At these performances, an LED screen near the stage displays the actors' lines simultaneously with the action of the play to assist patrons with hearing impairments, as well as those who are learning English.

Service animals are welcome at all performances at People's Light. The theatre offers a designated relief area for their comfort.

Join the cast for AfterWORDS, informal post-performance discussions after Thursday evening performances (March 29, April 5, April 12).

BISTRO & FARMHOUSE

Enjoy prix fixe Dinner & A Show packages at the Farmhouse Bistro prior to select Wednesday through Sunday performances. Pay $81 for a Wednesday evening, Thursday evening, Saturday matinee, or Sunday evening package, or $85 for a Friday evening, Saturday evening, or Sunday matinee package. That's a savings of up to 15% off the single ticket price. Call the Box Office at 610.644.3500.

Located next to the Bistro is a full-service catering venue, The Farmhouse at People's Light, perfect for weddings, corporate events, and special celebrations. Contact the Farmhouse Sales Team at 610.647.1631 x156 or thefarmhouse@peopleslight.org.

TICKET INFORMATION

I Will Not Go Gently previews begin on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:30pm and run through Friday, March 23. The play opens on Saturday, March 24 at 8pm and runs through Sunday, April 15.

Standard single tickets start at $39. For tickets, call the Box Office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x111 or email benedict@peopleslight.org.

$29 Community Night tickets are available for the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday preview performances on March 21, 22, and 23 at 7:30pm.

Pick Subscriptions and People's Passes are flexible and affordable ways to see multiple plays. Choose 3 or 4 productions and enjoy savings along with many of our full subscriber benefits. Or, purchase a set of 6 People's Passes, redeemable for any production of the season, in any combination. Remaining 2017-18 productions include I Will Not Go Gently (March 21 - April 15, 2018), Romeo and Juliet: A Requiem (April 25 - May 27, 2018), Skeleton Crew (June 13 - July 8, 2018), and Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie (August 1 - 26, 2018). Pick Subscriptions start at $102 and a set of People's Passes starts at $222. Visit www.peopleslight.org or call 610-644-3500 to order.

Actors, prices, productions, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply. Contact the Box Office for more details.

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

Now in its 43rd season, People's Light, a professional, not-for-profit theatre in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. Founded in 1974, we produce eight to nine plays each season, in two black box theatres with 340 and 160 seats respectively, mixing world premieres, contemporary plays, and fresh approaches to classic texts. Through two new play initiatives, New Play Frontiers and The Harmony Labs, People's Light currently has nine active play commissions. Of our 436 productions, over a third (166) have been world or regional premieres.

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