A new romantic stage comedy about a fictitious Chattanooga watering hole that has seen better days and the woman who inherits it opens at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre on March 13 for a three-weekend run.
Dorothy Parker Would Not Approve by Stacy Chapman is the grand prize winner of the CTC’s 8th Biennial Festival of New Plays which is open to playwrights who live in Tennessee and within 100 miles of Chattanooga in surrounding states. Ms. Chapman lives and works in Chattanooga. This winning entry is her writing debut.
Dorothy Parker Would Not Approve examines what happens when Mary Burelle (played by Joanna Keeling) must make a decision about the future of her family’s bar.
Both funny and moving, the play looks at the choice between staying safe with old friends or moving into the unknown.
The characters who have made Burrell’s their second home include the former city mayor Garrett Hooper (played by Richard L. Dube’ ) and Mary’s friend and mentor, Margie (played by Coylee Bryan). Bar regulars include Wilton Barnes (Carlton Thomas), Beau Branch (Jim Eernisse), and Tommy (Alex Tucker), plus Corey (Tom Major) who is drawn to Burrell’s by his favorite waitress, Caroline (Kelly Pennell). In to Burelle’s (by way of England) comes a new face, UTC classics professor Jeffrey Baker (Matt Johnson), who calls every part of Mary’s life into question.
Patrick Sweetman directs the play; Tim Newland is stage manager.
Dorothy Parker Would Not Approve will be presented on the Mildred M. Montague CircleStage at the following dates and times:
Friday, March 13 – Ceremony and Gala at 7 p.m.; Curtain at 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – Curtain at 8 p.m.
Thursday, March 19 – Curtain at 7 p.m.; Real-time captioning provided for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons
Friday, March 20 – Curtain at 8 p.m.; Talk back with the playwright, director and cast following the performance in the ‘Ghostlight’ session.
Saturday, March 21 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 22 – 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 26 – 7 p.m.
Friday, March 27 – 8 p.m. Girls’ Night Out sponsored by Brewer Media featuring complimentary drinks and snacks begins at 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 – 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 29 – 2:30 p.m.
Ceremonies honoring the New Plays Festival winners – Ms. Chapman and the creators of the three plays honored as runners up: Jeffrey Elwell, Katie Grosvenor Hutcheson, and Larry Richardson and Sharon Faiola – will be held on opening night, Friday, March 13, beginning at 7 p.m. before the 8 p.m. curtain.
Three outstanding plays chosen as runners-up in the New Plays Festival will be presented as readings during the same time period. Information about the plays and the dates and times of the readings are as follows:
Testimonies by Jeffrey Elwell - March 14 at 8 p.m., March 22 at 2:30 p.m., March 29 at 2:30 p.m.
Testimonies is the story of a man desperate to discover the truth behind the suicide of his father, a Holocaust survivor. “The answer is at Auschwitz,” is the tantalizing sentence in the father’s suicide note that sends his only child on a journey of discovery that leads him to a conclusion that he couldn’t imagine. The action of the play takes place in Connecticut in 1995 and at Auschwitz in 1944 and 1945.
What Happens at the Mall by Katie Grosvenor Hutcheson - March 19 at 7 p.m., March 26 at 7 p.m., March 28 at 8 p.m.
What Happens at the Mall is the story of a devout Southern Baptist woman who finds herself thrown into the world of retail management after a nasty divorce. The store that hires her sells personal massage products in addition to other “gadgets” for the home, and when a shipment of an overtly sexual line of personal pleasure products arrives, she refuses to sell them. The comedy revolves around the reaction of others in the middle of the Bible Belt to the mainstream merchandising of sex in a mall right across from the children’s play area. The play pokes fun at most denominations. Gay and lesbian themes are also discussed. This play is not for children.
Second Chances by Larry Richardson and Sharon Faiola - March 20 at 8 p.m., March 21 at 8 p.m., March 27 at 8 p.m.
The year is 1998. Horizon House is a typical nursing home in a typical town, with the typical residents and staff. But today is anything but typical. Two nurses discover that a delicate woman living in the west wing is the long lost love of a World War II veteran about to be discharged from the east wing. The veteran’s son has come to take him home, but not before the nurses conspire to reunite these two lonely hearts. The scheme could be a huge disaster or it could change the lives of all involved, making Horizon House a very exceptional place.
Tickets for Dorothy Parker Would Not Approve are $12.50 - $25; $30 opening night. Tickets to the readings are $10 each. A ticket package priced at $25 is available which allows purchasers to attend the play and all the readings. Season subscribers will be admitted to the play and all readings at no additional charge. For tickets and more information, visit the website at TheatreCentre.com or call the box office at 423-267-8534 Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre is located at 400 River St., next to Coolidge Park.