“[Shepard] was...at home as one of the theater’s most original and prolific portraitists of what was once the American frontier.” - NY Times
Charleston, SC (December 19, 2018) - On Friday, January 11, 2019, PURE Theatre will resume their 16th season with True West and Fool for Love by American playwright, Sam Shepard. These plays come to the PURE Stage in celebration and honor of the life and work of one of America’s most influential and important playwrights, Sam Shepard. Both finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, True West and Fool for Love will be the premiere productions at the Cannon Street Arts Center, a brand-new arts facility managed by the City of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs. These plays will run in rep January 11th through February 2, 2019.
In addition to launching Charleston’s newest performance venue, True West and Full For Love open a new series at PURE called Past Contemporaries. “Past Contemporaries is an idea that we’ve been kicking around a few years now, and it really comes out of our desire to honor and combine our love of older, revered text with our passion for new work,” says Sharon Graci, PURE Theatre’s Artistic Director. “Past Contemporaries asks the question, ‘If PURE was producing theatre in (insert date), which play(s) would we produce?’ True West and Fool For Love are absolutely two plays that PURE would have produced if it were around in 1980 and 1983.” Moving forward, PURE’s Past Contemporaries series may not be limited to only older work. “I’m interested in exploring the intersection of past work and new work,” explains Graci. “I think one of the most illuminating acts in theatre, is to consider current implications of past texts. What better way to do that than to produce an older and newer work in Rep?”
In True West, sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale.
Then, through searing truth and dark humor, Fool for Love shows the story of two people who just can't live without each other whether they like it or not. May is hiding out at an old motel in the Mojave Desert. Eddie, an old flame and her half brother, finds her there and threatens to drag her back into the life from which she had fled. Reality and dream; truth and lies; past and present mingle in an explosive, emotional experience. “We’re thrilled to welcome two new actors to our stage for Fool For Love, Charleston based actor Daryl LaPlante (What If Productions; Threshold Rep) will take on the role of Mitch, and Los Angeles based actor Malcolm Madera (Rattlestick Theatre, Center Theatre Group; Echo Theatre; House of Cards, Netflix, Boardwalk Empire, HBO; Taxi Brooklyn, NBC) is joining us in the role of Eddie.” PURE Core Ensemble Members Camille Lowman (This Random World; Failure: A Love Story; Marie Antoinette) and Randy Neale (If I Forget; Glengarry Glen Ross; Outside Mullingar) appear in the roles of May and The Old Man. “It’s a phenomenal cast, and I couldn’t be more excited,” continues Graci. “Their work is surprising, and honest, and funny. Sam Shepard described Fool For Love as ‘relentless’ and it absolutely is. These actors invite you aboard, and then they just take off. It’s thrilling.”
“When Sam Shepard passed away a year ago, he left behind a lifetime of work that transformed American theatre. True West and Fool for Love, two of his most revered plays, are masterful tales of human nature through a darkly funny, sometimes absurd and often provocative lens,” says True West Director, Dana Resnick. “In True West, long-time PURE Theatre actors David Mandel (Straight White Men, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Our Mother’s Brief Affair) and R.W. Smith (Straight White Men, If I Forget, Father Comes Home from the Wars, Parts 1, 2, and 3) revive their roles from the PURE production of 14 years ago providing a remarkable opportunity to bring these characters back to life. The actors have developed such an intimate understanding of their roles, and have worked together for so many years, that their performances are nothing short of mesmerizing. Sam Shepard wanted his plays to evoke empathy for people who seemed beyond repair, I believe this production honors his legacy.”
True West will open Friday, January 11, 2019 and Fool for Love will open on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 7:30 pm. The dates for the rotating productions are as follows:
True West Fool for Love
Fri. Jan 11 at 7:30 pm Sat. Jan 12 at 7:30 pm
Sat. Jan 12 at 3:00 pm Sun. Jan 13 at 3:00 pm*
Wed. Jan 16 at 7:30 pm* Thurs. Jan 17 at 7:30 pm○
Fri. Jan 18 at 7:30 pm Sat. Jan 19 at 7:30 pm
Sat. Jan 19 at 3:00 pm Wed. Jan 23 at 7:30 pm
Sun. Jan 20 at 3:00 pm Fri. Jan 25 at 7:30 pm
Thurs. Jan 24 at 7:30 pm○ Sat. Jan 26 at 3:00 pm
Sat. Jan 26 at 7:30 pm Thurs. Jan 31 at 7:30 pm
Wed. Jan 30 at 7:30 pm Sat. Feb. 2 at 3:00 pm
Fri. Feb 1 at 7:30 pm Sat. Feb 2 at 7:30 pm
* Pay-What-You-Will Performance
○ Halsey Talkback Nights (Please join us for a post-show discussion with the cast and crew led by Susan Kattwinkel from the College of Charleston)
Tickets for True West and Fool for Love are on sale now at puretheatre.org and at the PURE Theatre box office. Advance purchases are strongly recommended. Additional information about the show can be found on PURE’s website at www.puretheatre.org or by calling the box office at 843.723.4444 Tuesday through Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm with extended hours on performance days. PURE Theatre is located at 134 Cannon Street.
###
SCBIZtv is part of the SC Biz News family, serving 100,000 high-level business execs throughout South Carolina.
Click for more from SCBIZtv.
