August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” premiers at the Fullerton Stage Theatre on Nov. 6. The production, directed by Phyllis E. Griffin will run through Nov. 15. (Artwork courtesy of Grip Design) CHICAGO — The Theatre School at DePaul University will present August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at the Fullerton Stage Theatre. The production, directed by Phyllis E. Griffin, premieres on Nov. 6, and runs through Nov. 15. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Previews are Nov. 4-5 at 7:30 p.m.
About the play: It is 1910 and the Holly’s boardinghouse welcomes the descendants of freed slaves heading north in search of opportunity, identity and a place to call home. When a mysterious man and his daughter arrive, the residents share the struggle of reconciling their pasts in order to create a new future.
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” is the second play in August Wilson’s “The Pittsburgh Cycle” 10 part series, chronicling the lives of African-Americans throughout each decade of the 20th century.
Tickets are $15, preview tickets are $10 and student tickets are $5. Subscriptions and group rates are also available. All tickets are reserved seating. Tickets are also available online at http://theatre.depaul.edu or by calling the box office at 773-325-7900. The Fullerton Stage Theatre at DePaul University is located at 2350 N. Racine Ave. in Chicago.
For patrons who are blind or have low-vision, the performance will include an audio description Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. with a pre-performance touch tour. Call 773-325-7900 for more information. The performance on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. will also be interpreted in American Sign Language. For additional information call TTY at 773-325-7975.
Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. is USO of Illinois Night. U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families can attend the performance for free. Visit www.tixfortroops.org to reserve tickets, or call 773-325-7900. Additional special events include an opening night reception following the performance on Nov. 6, and post-show discussions on Nov. 8 and 12.
The cast features Leea Ayers (Mattie Campbell), Ayanna Bakari (Molly Cunningham), Jerome Beck (Bynum Walker), Hunter Bryant (Reuben Scott), Bernard Gilbert (Herald Loomis), Jalen Gilbert (Jeremy Furlow), LaNora Hayden (Martha Pentacost Loomis), Christopher Jones (Seth Holly), Jeri Marshall (Bertha Holly), Samantha Newcomb (Zonia Loomis), and Zivon Toplin (Rutherford Selig).
The production team includes Phyllis E. Griffin (director), Nick Sandys (fight director), Kimosha Murphy (movement director), Claire DiVito (scenic designer), Meg Burke (costume designer), Brian Suchocki (lighting designer), Sebby Woldt (sound designer), J.D. Garrastegui (dramaturg), and Mario E. Wolfe (stage manager).
Griffin is an associate professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University. She is a certified Feldenkrais practitioner and Lessac teacher. Griffin has studied with Richard Armstrong, Patsy Rodenburg, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Dudley Knight and Kristin Linklater. She has served as vocal coach for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The Goodman Theatre, assisting on “Gem of the Ocean” by August Wilson, as well as “Drowning Crow,” “King Hedley II,” “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” and “I Am a Man.” Her expertise in voice and speech earned her an invitation to teach for The Summer Shakespeare Institute at Birmingham University in Great Britain. She was the vocal coach for Shakespeare on the Green's production of “Othello” and has previously worked for Disney Productions as the vocal coach to prospective actors for “The Lion King.” She was a dialect coach for Joan Plowright on the feature film “Dennis the Menace.” In addition, Griffin has narrated documentaries for PBS and NPR. She has directed several plays for The Theatre School, including “A Free Man of Color,” “Intimate Apparel,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Two Trains Running,” “Insurrection: Holding History, Flyin' West,” “Stamping, Shouting, and Singing Home,” “Sleep Deprivation Chamber,” and “Curse Of The Starving Class.”
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Media Contact:
Andrea Tichy
atichy@depaul.edu
(773) 325-7819