[NEohioPAL] Oberlin College: Vieux Carre by Tennessee Williams, Directed by Matthew Wright

[Alexander Birnie]

Oberlin College Theater and Dance Program

Presents



Tennessee Williams'

*Vieux Carré*
in Oberlin College's Hall Auditorium
Directed by Matthew Wright

February 7-9, 2008



*OBERLIN**, **OH*—This February the Oberlin College Theater and Dance Program
will present *Vieux Carré, *a play by Tennessee Williams. Author of *A
Streetcar Named Desire *and *The Glass Menagerie *and arguably one of
the greatest
American playwrights of the 20th century, Williams wrote poetically of a
deep love for the South and in particular of New Orleans. Now, following the

exposure of New Orleans at the hands of Hurricane Katrina in August
2005, *Vieux
Carré *has assumed new meaning in revealing the hardships of those marginalized
and forgotten among New Orleans society. One of Williams' last and most
shamelessly autobiographical plays, the action follows his first days as a
young writer living in the French Quarter of New Orleans. *Vieux Carré *brings
to life the sounds and spirit of one of America's most  eclectic and* *unique
cities in an emotional tribute to the 'Big Easy' at a time when its identity
has been dramatically marginalized. In a new production, with hurricane
ravaged New Orleans as a backdrop, *Vieux Carré *explores the fundamental
fight for survival, the longing for human connections, and the quest for
personal discovery as we witness the birth of Williams' artistic and
literary genius. Haunting, poetic, funny, and deeply moving, the play pays
homage to the eccentric characters, who inspired Williams' distinctive voice
in years to come.



*Directed by Associate Professor of Theater, Matthew Wright,**Vieux
Carré **will
be performed at Oberlin College's Hall Auditorium, **Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday, February 7th, 8th, and 9th at 8PM.* High Schools can receive
complimentary tickets for all shows by contacting Central Ticket Service at
440-775-8169 or 1-800-371-0178. Hall Auditorium is wheel chair accessible,
parking is free, and hearing enhancement is available. All media inquiries
can be directed to Hall Publicity at 440-775-8171.



*Tickets are General Admission and are $4 for Oberlin Students, $6 for
Seniors/Oberlin Staff, $6 for Educators, and $8 for the public. To obtain
tickets please contact Central Ticket Service at (440) 775-8169 or
1-800-371-0178, open **12pm – 5pm** **Monday through Friday. *Box Office
opens one hour prior to performances.* *
**
*Cast*

The cast of Oberlin College students features junior Alex Birnie as *The
Writer*, junior Elizabeth Koehn as *Jane*, and junior Jill Murdoch as *Mrs.
Wire*. Included are seniors Matthew Castleman (*Sky/Photographer) *and
Raphael Martinez *(Nightingale)*, juniors Derrick Bean *(Tye) *and Elizabeth
Woodbury *(Mary Maude)*, sophomore Josh Christian *(Miss Carrie)* and
freshman Mieko Gavia *(Nursie)*. In addition the cast features Guest Artists
Holly Handman-Lopez *(Mysterious* *Woman) *and David Bugher *(Patrolman)*.

* *

*Production Team*

In addition to director Matthew Wright, the production team for *Vieux Carré
*includes Michael Louis Grube (Set Design), Chris Flaharty (Costume Design),
Sarah Gasser (Stage Manager), Carolyn Wong (Lighting Design), Andrew Kaletta
(Sound Design & Master Electrician), Alexander Overington and Francis Wilson
(Sound Design), Joseph Natt (Technical Director), David Bugher (Asst.
Technical Director, Props), Jamie Caplan (Asst. Stage Manager), Chris
Sherwood (Asst. Director), Barbara Kessler (Box Office), Hannah Epstein
(Poster Design), Alex Birnie and Emily Tinawi (Publicity).

* *

*Matthew Wright (Director), *is an actor, director, voice and dialect coach
and theatre educator whose work has taken him across the United States. He
has directed numerous plays for colleges and universities including
significant productions of: *A Bright Room Called Day, Dancing At Lughnasa,
Three Sisters *(at Oberlin College); *Ivanov, Brand, Hedda Gabler,
Holy* *Ghosts,
Harvey, Misalliance, *and *1940s Radio Hour *(all at Florida Atlantic
University). Professionally, Matthew has cocreated and directed three
performance projects with The Core Ensemble, a new music chamber orchestra.
One of these productions (*Tres Vidas) *continues to tour internationally
since it's debut in 2001. Other professional directing projects include work
at City Theatre *(Summer Shorts, *1998 and 1999*), *FloridaStage (staged
readings of *Fish or Cut Bait *and *Beeluther-* *hatchee), *the Caldwell
Theatre Company (staged reading of *Fanny and Walt*) and The Miami
International Book Fair (reduced version of *The Cherry Orchard). *Matthew
has served on the faculties of The Ohio State University, Wright State
University and Florida Atlantic University where he headed the graduate
actor-training program for ten years. He currently serves as Associate
Professor of Theater at Oberlin College where he teaches a variety of acting
studios. Matthew has been a proud member of Actors' Equity Association since
1988.



*Production Notes*

The play follows the lives and interactions of the tenants at 722 Toulouse
Street, a rooming house situated in the French Quarter of New Orleans and
run by the eccentric landlady *Mrs. Wire*. The *Writer*, recently arrived
from St. Louis, learns through both personal experience and through observing
the lives of those around him how exciting and unforgiving life in the
Quarter can be. An old housekeeper *Nursie*, an aspiring fashion designer
from New York, *Jane*, her strip-show barker boyfriend *Tye, *a quick sketch
artist, *Nightingale, *dying of Tuberculosis, and two starving old ladies, *
Miss* *Carie *and *Mary Maude, *all struggle to relate to one another in
their attempt to find meaning in their lives and to simply get by.
"I wanted to do a play about New Orleans," explains director Matthew Wright.
"It is a city I have visited many times as a young person and that I have a
special love for. When Katrina hit in 2005, I think we all felt a deep sense
of horror and loss." The play, originally written and produced in 1977, six
years before the playwright's death, takes place in late 1938 and spring
1939. "This was a time in which New Orleans was very rich in culture,"
continues Wright. "I wanted to look at New Orleans from the perspective of
its life when it was really thriving." "All of Williams' work is very visual
in that he creates incredibly atmospheric settings. There's a lot of mood in
what he writes," describes Wright. "There is a kind of poetic language and
depth of inner-life that embue all his characters that make them both
challenging and incredibly exciting for actors to embody."
Similar to *The Glass Menagerie*, *Vieux Carré *is a memory play based
around Williams' own life and he boldly acknowledges the narrator as himself
"those many* *years ago" in strikingly candid recollections of the
experiences that shaped him as a writer. "It's a very brave play because* *he's
so forthright about his homosexuality and growth as a writer," ventures
Wright. "There is also a lot of humor in the* *play exactly as you find in
his greatest influence Chekhov. The examination of existential loneliness,
which can be found in* *both of their works, sometimes makes us laugh quite
hard."

The production features a set design by Michael Louis Grube and costume
design by Chris Flaharty and brings together Williams' world of 1938 with
the cultural complexities of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. The play takes place on the foundation of a house that has been
destroyed in the storm. "I've been through a couple of hurricane places,"
explains Grube. "I've seen the damage; it's incredible. Once you see big
houses floating across the road, you don't ever forget that." Using found
objects and damaged furniture as set pieces in what Williams describes as a
"poetic evocation of all rooming houses of the world" the modern world is
juxtaposed with 1930's period costumes in a true blend of both New
Orleanspast and present. "I think there will be a very strong
dichotomy, especially
within the given context of going to work on Katrina." says Flaharty. "I
would like for people to be haunted by the images of the play," remarks
Wright. "I'm hoping that it will allow people to remember their own
humanity, remember New Orleans, and maybe inspire people to help New
Orleansin its recovery efforts."
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