Triad Stage Presents World Premiere of Southern Noir THE PASSION OF TERESA RAE KING
By: Stephi Wild Apr. 18, 2018
Triad Stage's Founding Artistic Director Preston Lane continues to mine the dramatically rich fictional town of Hawboro, North Carolina in this explosive World Premiere drama. Loosely based on Émile Zola's Thérèse Raquin, Playwright/Director Lane's modern tale focuses on Teresa Rae King, a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage; disappointed by her husband and terrorized by her gorgon mother-in-law, Teresa Rae finally discovers true passion in the arms of Levon, an ex-con. Their plot to free Teresa Rae produces harrowing results pushing them to madness. Sarah Hankins (The Queen's Company) leads the cast of seven -- Melat Ayalew, Patrick M. Ball (Sex with Strangers), Madeline Fox, Beth Glover (Cinderella, Take Me Along), Lorin Kaplan and Stanton Nash (Wicked).
The Passion of Teresa Rae King runs April 29 - May 20, 2018 at The Pyrle Theater in downtown Greensboro. Opening Night is Friday, May 4.
"I read Thérèse Raquin years ago and it's the only book that I've ever read that gave me nightmares," said Founding Artistic Director Preston Lane. "Later I was thinking about stories I could tell about communities where the illusion of a southern gentility might not be here, and the social niceties we are so familiar with might not always be present. Those two ideas started to play together, and I decided that I wanted to do an adaptation of Zola's novel that was deeply rooted in one of these southern communities that had been abandoned and decimated by the loss of the textile and tobacco industries. Hawboro has become the perfect place for us to explore contemporary issues of the South like endemic poverty and the loss of hope." Lane is the playwright and director of this production.
Lane leads the creative team, which also includes scenic designer Fred Kinney, costume designer Rainy Edwards, lighting designer Maranda DeBusk, sound designer Derek Graham, and projections designer Nicholas Hussong. Jim Wren is the resident fight choreographer; Christine Morris is the resident vocal coach, Denise Gabriel is the resident movement coach, and Janine Wochna is the stage manager.
Other original plays set in Hawboro include Actions and Objectives (2017), Don Juan (2016), Radiunt Abundunt (2016), Common Enemy (2015), and Providence Gap (2010).
More information on the production can be found online at triadstage.org/performance/249/the-passion-of-teresa-rae-king.
All performances are at The Pyrle Theater, located at 232 S Elm St, Greensboro, NC 27401. Show times for The Passion of Teresa Rae King are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. Sunday evening shows are at 7:30 p.m. The last show is a matinee performance on Sunday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. There will not be an evening performance. There are no matinee performances during previews.
Opening Night is Friday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can performances are Tuesday and Wednesday, May 8 and 9.
Technically Talking, a free behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the design team is Tuesday, May 1, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. preview performance.
The InSight Series with a noted expert discussing the world of the play will be held on Sunday, May 6, immediately following the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance. Bestselling author Jerry Bledsoe will give a free lecture about the southern crime novel and how it related to the show.
PostScript, a free open discussion with the cast, will be held on Thursday, May 10, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance.
Wine Tasting Friday is Friday, May 11, prior to the evening's 8:00 p.m. performance.
Triad Stage is a professional not-for-profit regional theater company based in Greensboro's downtown historic district. All Triad Stage productions are created in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina using the best of local and national talent. Triad Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of its Season Sponsors: Blue Zoom, the North Carolina Arts Council, ArtsGreensboro and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
Triad Stage has announced their 2018-2019 Season! For more information about the upcoming 18th Season, please visit www.triadstage.org.
All Triad Stage productions feature the bold acting and breathtaking design that have been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal and by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards, which named Triad Stage one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country as a recipient of the 2010 National Theatre Company Grant. Triad Stage has also earned accolades including "Best North Carolina Production of 2010" for The Glass Menagerie by Triangle Arts & Entertainment magazine; "One of the Best Regional Theatres in America", New York's Drama League; "Best Live Theater" (thirteen years running), Go Triad/News & Record; and "Professional Theater of the Year" (2003, 2011), North Carolina Theatre Conference.
To purchase tickets or for performance information on The Passion of Teresa Rae King, call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336.272.0160 or visit www.triadstage.org.
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