2nd Story THeatre Presents NUTS, Previews Begin 6/3

Ed Shea, Artistic Director, announced that 2nd Story Theatre will return to the historic Bristol Statehouse, 240 High Street, Bristol, RI for a production of Nuts by Tom Topor. Nuts will be directed by Mark Peckham.

Nuts is a suspenseful melodrama set in a courtroom at New York's Bellevue Hospital, where a high-class call girl who killed a violent "john" in self-defense is indicted for manslaughter. When her parents try to avoid further scandal by having her declared mentally incompetent, she launches a fierce battle to convince the court that she is sane enough to stand trial. This highly-charged drama explores family dynamics, sexual abuse, and the criminal justice system. A Broadway hit that was made into a motion picture starring Barbra Streisand, Nuts was described in The New York Times as "a powerful portrait not only of a dysfunctional family, but also of a society in which justice for women is still dependent on the attitudes of the men in their lives."

Previews are Friday, June 3 at 8pm, and Sunday, June 5 at 3:00pm. Preview tickets are $20.

Saturday, June 4 is a private performance to benefit The Bristol Statehouse Foundation.

The press performance is Sunday, June 5 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $27.

Regular performances are June 9 through June 26, Thursdays at 7:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 3:00pm. Nuts is not part of a subscription package. Tickets are $27. The Bristol Statehouse is located at 240 High Street, Bristol, RI. For tickets, contact 2nd Story Theatre at 401-247-4200 or boxoffice@2ndstorytheatre.com. Visit the website at www.2ndstorytheatre.com. The Bristol Statehouse is a fully accessible venue.

SYNOPSIS - Nuts by Tom Topor

Set in a courtroom in the psychiatric wing of NYC's Bellevue Hospital, a high-class call girl indicted for manslaughter in the death of a client is determined to prove she is sane enough to stand trial.

Mark Peckham, Director of Nuts
At 2nd Story, Mark Peckham has directed Kimberly Akimbo (2010), To Kill a Mockingbird (2009-10) and Orpheus Descending (2008). Mr. Peckham was a founding member and co-artistic director of Wickenden Gate Theatre in Providence. His directing credits include Line by Molly Rice, Talking With by Jane Martin, On the Verge by Eric Overmyer, Pvt. Wars/Lone Star by James McLure, Waiting for the Parade by John Murrell and Anything Goes by Cole Porter. His stage acting credits include Trinity Rep, Perishable Theatre, The Sandra-Feinstein-Gamm Theatre, the Colonial Theatre, and the Nora Theatre Company.

Nuts and Tom Topor
Tom Topor spent 15 years as a reporter for The New York Post, covering NYC police stations, courtrooms and hospitals. The plot of "Nuts" was based on a true-life incident he had reported in the early 1970s, as well as incidents from his wife's childhood. "Nuts" premiered in 1979 at the WPA Theatre Off-Off Broadway, and transferred to Broadway's Biltmore Theatre in 1980. Universal Studios purchased the film rights and, in 1987, "Nuts" was adapted into a feature film starring Barbra Streisand and Richard Dreyfuss. Tom Topor also wrote the screenplay for "The Accused", for which Jodie Foster won the 1989 Academy Award.

ABOUT THE BRISTOL STATEHOUSE
The Bristol Statehouse was constructed in 1816 as one of 5 meeting places for the Rhode Island Senate and House of Representatives. This use continued until 1854 when the General Assembly decided to meet only in Providence or Newport. The facility housed the Bristol County Court, which presided over cases in the building into the 1980s. From that time, until its purchase by the non-profit Bristol Statehouse Foundation in 1997, the building was largely abandoned, utilizing only one room on the first floor as the office of the Bristol County Sheriff. Under its care, The Bristol Statehouse Foundation has made major renovations to the building, adding an elevator, fire stairs and accessible rest rooms.

ABOUT 2nd STORY THEATRE
2nd Story Theatre is a professional, non-union company with a unique aesthetic and the highest standards for artistic excellence in the performance of great plays in its relaxed 150 seat theatre. Founded in Newport, Rhode Island in 1978, 2nd Story established a permanent home in the historic district of Warren, RI in 2001 under the leadership of Artistic Director Ed Shea and Executive Director Lynne Collinson. 2nd Story Theatre is partially funded by The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

 

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