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Adultery ... Seduction ... Coming Out ... Poison ... Immaculate Conception ... the Haineses are about to rewrite the rulebook on Family Reunions.
Stanford University's THEATRE Q is delighted to announce its summer premiere of "IS THIS SEAT TAKEN? A FAIRY-TALE," a blistering original comic drama about an upper class East Coast family that puts the "fun" back into dysfunctional as they reunite one weekend, presented at the intimate Prosser Theatre. When a prodigal son returns for his first Thanksgiving from college, he and his siblings are met with a startling announcement that shakes the very core of a family desperately hiding behind its long-running status quo of courtesy, tight-lipped smiles and closed doors. As the weekend begins to expose the rotting skeletons in the family closet, each character strives to (re)define his or her role in the house that holds them all captive. "The House of Yes" meets "Far From Heaven" at "Pleasantville" in this darkly comic fantasia.
Praise for the play: "A TRUE DELIGHT ... THOROUGHLY WICKED, FUNNY, MOVING," says Pulitzer Prize-finalist AMY FREED (The Beard of Avon, Freedomland) of this searing portrait of contemporary familial angst. "An achingly beautiful and twisted mounting of dark comedy ... [Alexander's] directorial vision crosses the bounds between [the] cinematic and [the] theatrical, which translates to a chic, edgy production ... [Alexander] has a flair for sharp, witty dialogue ... Daphne K. Nayar's devastating portrayal of the bereaved mother is outstanding ... a glorious staging of [a] brilliant play," raved The Stanford Daily of a workshop production mounted in January that played to an entirely sold-out run.
Don't miss your opportunity to discover this stunning new play as it introduces a thrilling new voice and vision to the theatre.
Featuring an explosive ensemble cast, starring STEVE PRATT (Stanford Summer Theatre's "Lysistrata," directed by Rush Rehm), DAPHNE K. NAYAR (Juliet opposite Roland Gift's Romeo (of the Fine Young Cannibals) in the 1990 national British and U.S. tour of "Romeo and Juliet"), CHRIS LABRUM (the former host of the WB20's "Daily Mixx"), JONATHAN FETTER-VORM (Leading Actor nominee at the 2002 American College Theatre Festival for "Class," directed by Sylvanus Alexander), and Stanford Shakespeare Society veterans BRETT ERLICH (Iago and Orlando, S.S.S. 2003-04), SARAH MOSER (Celia, S.S.S. 2003-04) and VAL SINCKLER (Caliban and Don Pedro, S.S.S. 2002-03).
"IS THIS SEAT TAKEN? A FAIRY-TALE" is written and directed by SYLVANUS ALEXANDER, the Artistic Director of the Stanford Shakespeare Society for its upcoming 2004 - 05 Season, and director of "OTHELLO," "ROMEO & JULIET" and "AS YOU LIKE IT" in its 2003-04 Season. Other recent campus credits include: "THE RUFFIAN ON THE STAIR," "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING," "TEA," and "LULU: SOMETIMES IN DREAMS."
N.B. Due to theatre architecture, there is extremely limited disability access. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Don't hesitate to e-mail Producer Dan Anthony at dan05@stanford.edu with any questions, concerns and requests.