Pear Presents Dylan Thomas' UNDER MILK WOOD

Pear Theatre presents Under Milk Wood, an emotive and hilarious account of a spring day in the fictional Welsh village of Llareggub, where we learn of the inhabitants' dreams and desires, their loves and regrets, and the ultimate beauty of being human.

Commissioned by the BBC as a radio drama and later adapted for the stage, and described by creator Dylan Thomas as 'a play for voices', Under Milk Wood is a simple and elegant piece in which Pear Theatre will explore sound, theatrical movement, and the power of the mixed media production. Overseen by an omniscient narrator, the inhabitants of the tiny (imaginary) Welsh fishing village Llareggub spend an average day pining for lost loves, obsessing over past mistakes and future hopes; working, drinking, gossiping, playing, singing, and dreaming.

Pear Theatre's production will have six voices: six clans that come together after the apocalypse. They utilize an old recording to launch themselves into a sacred reverie, reliving the beauty of a shared memory of the best parts of what it means to be human - to remind themselves of what could be again.

Despite the struggles of these clans and humanity in general, audiences will be invited to share in the bucolic beauty of what it means to come together and dream of a better tomorrow ... to meet the multiple characters created by Thomas whose individual hopes, dreams, and loves can cut through the horrible noise that is the current state of humanity.

Welsh playwright and poet Dylan Thomas is perhaps best known for his poem, Do not go gentle into that good night. His works, well known for their lyricism and highly emotional impact, often arose from his formative years during the politically charged 1930s, poverty, illness, alcoholism, and the strain of raising a family in England during the early years of World War II. Thomas is reported to have commented that Under Milk Wood was developed in response to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as a way of reasserting the evidence of beauty in the world. It is also thought that the play was a response by Thomas both to the Nazi concentration camps, and to the internment camps that had been created around Britain during World War II.

Pear Theatre's production of Under Milk Wood will be filmed in the round in the theatre, using styles of movement to differentiate the clans and their stories. During the rehearsal and production process, artists will explore the possibilities of combining pre-recorded pieces with live audio.

The six performers cast for Under Milk Wood include Oluchi Nwokocha, Ali-Moosa Mirza, Asha Kelly, Thomas Farley, Kalan K Birnie, and Connie Jimenez. Between them, the six will portray 40 characters (both alive and dead) including Mog Edwards and Myfanwy Price, Mr. Waldo, Mr. Dai Bread and his two wives, Reverend Eli Jenkins, Lily Smalls, Mr. and Mrs. Pugh, Mrs. Cherry Owen, Butcher Beynon, Willy Nilly, Nogood Boyo, Mae Rose Cottage, Utah Watkins, Bessie Bighead, and Rosie Probert. Ed Hunter provides lighting design, John R. Lewis handles sound design, Kevin Davies designs set and props, Marisely Cortes provides costumes, Melinda Marks assists as movement and dialect consultant, and Kelly Weber Barraza stage manages.

In addition to the production itself, several Zoom readings matched with pre-recorded video will be offered during the run for ticket-holders.

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or musical revues or cutting-edge plays. Now in its nineteenth season, the Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and its ongoing commitment to excellence was recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved in 2015 from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre close by, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. After two years of growth under Artistic Director Betsy Kruse Craig, Pear Theatre came under the leadership of its third Artistic Director, Sinjin Jones, in early 2020.

Under Milk Wood will be directed by Sinjin Jones and presented online beginning March 12. Tickets ($30-34) and information are available by visiting www.thepear.org/season-19 or by calling (650) 254-1148.

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