Schedule of Discussions

PERICLES: "Shakespearean Blockbuster"
Saturday, October 11, 2008 (8pm)
Sunday, October 12, 2008 (2pm)
Spanning oceans and generations, Pericles has princesses, pirates, assassins, exotic locales, a bawdy house, and multiple shipwrecks!  One of the Bard's most popular plays during his lifetime, its timeless themes of loss, redemption and reconciliation continue to resonate. Directed by Joseph Haj and featuring original music and songs by Jack Herrick of the Tony Award-winning Red Clay Ramblers.
Discussant: Harold Kudler, MD

BLUE DOOR: "On Racial Identity"
a play with original songs by Tanya Barfield
Saturday, November 8, 2008 (8pm)
Sunday, November 9, 2008 (2pm)
A soul-searching journey begins when an African-American professor is left by his wife due to his reluctance to embrace his identity. The night of their break he's visited by the spirits of several male ancestors whose stories illuminate and guide his way. Blue Door  is a beautiful exploration, through text and song, of what it costs to disconnect from our past and from the legacy of our cultural heritage. Tony Award-winning Trezana Beverley, who brought us The Bluest Eye and Yellowman, will direct.
Discussant: Peter Perault, MD

THE LITTLE PRINCE                                                             
by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar                  
based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Saturday, December 13, 2008 (8pm)
Sunday, December 14, 2008 (2pm)
When a disenchanted Aviator crashes his plane in the Sahara, he is surprised to meet a visitor from a far away star.  Through the startling insights shared by this "Little Prince," the Aviator is reminded of what is truly important in life.  Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished.  This holiday season, PlayMakers is thrilled to present this gift of family theatre to our theatre family.         
Discussant: Roni Cohen, PhD

GLASS MENAGERIE
by Tennessee Williams
Saturday, February 21, 2009 (8pm)
Sunday, February 22, 2009 (2pm)
PlayMakers presents Williams' masterpiece the way he always intended - as a break from "the exhausted theatre of realistic conventions."  A moving tale of a mother/daughter relationship complicated by the daughter's disability, with universal themes of family conflict and dreams deferred, its groundbreaking theatrical form helped establish the memory play in the theatrical canon.
Discussant: Theresa Yuschok, MD

WELL
by Lisa Kron
Saturday, February 28, 2009 (8pm)
Sunday, March 1, 2009 (2pm)
'Lisa', the onstage playwright, attempts a memory play about her force-of-nature mother who though constantly ill manages to heal a community.  Characters rebel at Lisa's version of events, upending the story in a howlingly funny and emotionally powerful look at mother/daughter dynamics. This Tony-nominated Broadway sensation comes from the original voice of Lisa Kron, whose OBIE-winning 2.5 Minute Ride was a sold-out hit in last season's PRC2 series.
Discussant: Peter Perault, MD

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
adapted by Jon Jory
Saturday, April 18, 2009 (8pm)
Sunday, April 19, 2009 (2pm)
The five Bennett sisters in pursuit of romance, heartthrob Mr. Darcy, and a coterie of Jane Austen's beloved characters come vividly to life in theatre legend Jon Jory's sparkling adaptation of the classic novel. Join us as this witty and wise take on romance is brought from page to stage for PlayMakers audiences.
Discussant:  Julia Danek, MD