Nagy's Retelling Of THE SCARLET LETTER Comes To The Gamm 5/7-6/7

The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) is pleased to conclude its 24th Season with Phyllis Nagy's adaptation of the classic American novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Gamm Resident Director Judith Swift helms an elegant and unconventional retelling of this tragic tale, rife with symbolism. The Scarlet Letter features Gamm Resident Actors Jeanine Kane as the scorned Puritan woman Hester Prynne and Casey Seymour Kim as her love-child turned narrator, Pearl.

The Scarlet Letter runs from May 7 through June 7 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI. Tickets $24-$39, previews and press performance (May 7-11) only $24. Discounts for subscribers, groups of 10 or more, seniors and students. For tickets call 401-723- 4266 or go to arttixri.com. Information at gammtheatre.org.

Hawthorne's classic exploration of sin, hypocrisy and society is vividly re-imagined in this sexually charged and psychologically complex tale of obsession and revenge. In 17th- century Puritan Boston, Hester Prynne has been branded an adulteress and sentenced to wear the scarlet letter A on her dress. But she turns the mark of her shame into a badge of beauty and refuses to name her lover, the father of her daughter, Pearl. When Hester's long-lost husband unexpectedly reappears, however, he will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. Narrated by the spirited Pearl, this stripped-bare stage version of the "greatest American novel" makes for a raw and exhilarating theatrical experience.

Gamm Resident Director Judith Swift says Nagy's play distills the essence of Hawthorne's novel.

"Nathaniel Hawthorne bore the painful heritage of an ancestor who never admitted wrongdoing in the Salem witch trials. This legacy burned in his writer's imagination as fiercely as Hester's 'A' for adultery. But in truth, we all bear metaphorical letters that capture our secret shames or failures. It is this truism that makes The Scarlet Letter timeless as an investigation of the human conscience as well as the power of individuals to convert brands of sin to badges of honor," Swift says.

The Scarlet Letter is sponsored by Navigant Credit Union. Additional support comes from WBRU.

By Phyllis Nagy, adapted from the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Directed by Judith Swift

Set Design by Katryne Hecht
Costume Design by Marilyn Salvatore
Lighting Design by Matthew Terry
Sound Design by Charles Cofone
Technical Direction by Dade Veron
Stage Management by Stef Work*

Props Master/Scenic Artist Katryne Hecht; Dramaturge, Jennifer Madden; Assistant Stage Manager, Nicholas Thibeault; Production Assistants, Danielle Dube, Hallee Brown

CAST
Hester Prynne, Jeanine Kane*
Arthur Dimmesdale, Steve Kidd*
Roger Chillingworth, Alan Hawkridge
Pearl, Casey Seymour Kim*
Governor Bellingham, Tom Gleadow
Master Brackett, Cliff Odle
Mistress Hibbins, Tray Gearing

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.