July 19, 2012

THE SPIRIT OF FRANCES WRIGHT


For Immediate Release:

Perihelion Theater Company and Productions presents

THE SPIRIT OF FRANCES WRIGHT
(Love is an Action Verb)

written and directed by Karyn Traut
Featuring Dylan Guy

AFTER (nearly) 200 YEARS FRANCES WRIGHT RETURNS TO SCOTLAND!  Once here she takes you on a journey back to Tennessee and the mid 1920’s where she confronts the audience as if on a fund raising trip for her beloved commune, Nashoba.   Describing her upbringing and ideals that led her to creating the commune where slaves could work to earn money to free themselves, women could experience love without giving up their rights of property and freedom to a husband, where blacks and whites could co-mingle and produce children whose skin, according to Frances, would be more suited to the blistering Tennessee sunshine, she reveals her unexpected confrontations, successes and failures.  All at Nashoba were expected to work the land to feed the group.  Ride sidesaddle while clearing trees?  Not for her.  She doffed the billowing mounds of fabric skirts and petticoats in order to ride astride, and… cropped her hair.   Such ‘manly’ couture created nearly as much outrage as her wearing of  --what today would look more like harem --trousers. 

Has she acquired an American accent?  We think so.  Gifted as a linguist who spoke both French and Italian, she apparently had no trouble adapting to the rustic American tongue. Her shocking activities never ceased. She wrote a play, Altorf, actually signing her name to it. By itself such signature created a stir but when the play was performed with an affianced couple’s kiss—it was too hot for the 19th century.  Late in life, Fanny, as she was known, took on workers’ rights.  Was there anything she missed?  Why doesn’t everyone know about her?  Perhaps she was too hot to handle.  Come find out.

Influenced by Pirandello, Strindberg, and American playwright, Megan Terry (who was herself influenced by      Gertrude Stein) Karyn Traut brings Frances Wright from 1820 into the present. Perihelion continues with its tradition of hosting discussions about the content of the play after each performance AND rehearsing on skype -- possibly the first theater company on earth to do so.   In 2011 Brian Wescott was in Fairbanks, Alaska during one rehearsal while actress, Anoo Tree Brod and director, Karyn Traut were in Chapel Hill North, Carolina. This year actress Dylan Guy is in New York City while Karyn Traut is in Chapel Hill, where Perihelion is based.  Dubbed ‘Home of the Healing Play” by Spectator Magazine (of the Research Triangle of North Carolina) in 1998, Perihelion Theater Company, was incorporated in 1989 as an American 501c3 tax exempt corporation.

We are delighted to be returning to the fringe and Sweet Venues where our 2011 production of THE REALM OF LOVE OR FOLDING LAUNDRY garnered 4 stars: “Enlivening, inspiring and immensely thought provoking.” http://www.theatreguidelondon.co.uk/reviews/edinburgh2011-2.htm


Venue 18 – Sweet International 4
Dates: 3rd-17th, 19th-24th, 26th-27th August
Time: 13.10 – 14.00 (includes 10 min
                            Discussion after the show)
Cost:  Aug 3:    
Box Office Tel no: 0131 243 3596 (Active from 1st August)
Contact: Karyn Traut email: Ktraut@nc.rr.com
Tom Traut email: Traut@nc.rr.com
Press contact for Sweet Venues- Lynne Campbell
Email: lynne@sweetvenues.co.uk