Tennessee Repertory Theatre's 2005-2006 season — its 22nd — opens with a recent Broadway success, Richard Greenberg's 3 Days of Rain. Both a family drama and a mystery, 3 Days of Rain is about beautiful buildings, unspeakable secrets, and family fault lines.
The show runs October 19 - November 4 in the Polk Theater at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), 505 Deaderick St, Nashville.
Directed by Tennessee Rep's producing director, Rene Copeland, the play stars David Alford, Ross Brooks, and Shelean Newman.
"Greenberg's work is being brought more and more to the forefront. His Take Me Out won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2003," according to Copeland. "'3 Days of Rain' is a remarkable story about true love and the dynamics of communication from one generation of family to the next. It is both funny and moving, a lovely blend of laughter and heartache, and a great way to kick off the season."
Copeland directed Alford and Newman in the same roles when Mockingbird Theatre produced the play locally in 2002.
"In many ways we felt that production was compromised artistically," Alford said. "The first act takes place in 1995. The second in 1960. The set demands are significant. Doing it again gives us an opportunity to do it 'right' with a fully mounted production in Johnson Theater's perfect, intimate setting."
Each actor plays two generations of the same families: Alford as the son in the first act, then his father in the second. Newman as the daughter and then her mother. Brooks as the more-than-a-friend to the siblings and then as his father.
Newman, whose history with Tennessee Rep includes 25 previous productions, considers playing the same roles again to be "a golden opportunity."
"The daughter, Nan, and the mother, Lina, are hands down, the deepest characters I've ever played and getting to revisit them and potentially make new discoveries is a gift. I love both of these women because they're so different and yet share all of those intimate experiences and similarities exclusive to family that mold us and shape us into who we ultimately become. They're also so contrasting. One is fairly cool initially and one is fiery and passionate. One is the way she is largely due to the way the other was."
"In spending time with the script I've already found some things I feel I missed the first go round," she continued. "Having done it once before I'm not as intimidated by the characters, the intensity of the show or being on stage with such powerhouse talent."
Ross Brooks is a newcomer to 3 Days of Rain and a relative newcomer to Nashville's professional acting community. He recently appeared in Nashville Shakespeare Festival's Macbeth in the title role. Brooks appeared as Tybalt in that company's Romeo and Juliet in 2003. At Nashville Children's Theatre (NCT) he appeared in Holes and will appear this season in Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!
3 Days of Rain, commissioned and originally produced by South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif., in 1997, had its New York premiere later that year in a production at the Manhattan Theatre Club. It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in drama, and has enjoyed many subsequent productions in regional theatres across the United States and abroad. The most famous production to date was on Broadway last spring, where the play was used as a star vehicle for the heavily promoted stage debut of film star Julia Roberts.
Prior to the first performance, Tennessee Rep offers the general public an opportunity to explore one of the last steps in the creative process of producing a play, the technical rehearsal.
"Look In at 3 Days of Rain" is scheduled for 6-7:15 p.m., Tuesday, October 19, at Polk Theater in TPAC. Attendees will watch as Director Copeland, the actors, and the technical crew bring all the elements of the play together prior to opening night. Tennessee Rep Volunteers will provide drinks and hors d'oeuvres. The event, produced in association with TPAC Education, is free and open to the public.
During the run, playgoers have opportunities to learn more about the creative process. Immediately after each Thursday night performance, "TalkBack" with the director and actors will allow for structured discussion of the play's ideas and themes.
Resident Scenic Designer Gary Hoff will talk about his set design and the technical aspects of the production, 7-7:15 p.m. before each Friday evening performance. Audience members are invited to meet and chat casually in the Johnson Theater Lobby with the actors immediately after each Saturday evening performance.
Tennessee Repertory Theatre's season sponsor is HCA/TriStar. Additional funding for this production and its auxiliary activities is provided by American Airlines, Cal Turner Family Foundation, Comcast Spotlight, First Tennessee Foundation, Louisiana Pacific, The Memorial Foundation, Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Nashville Scene, Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission, and US Bank.
Community Partners for 3 Days of Rain are two not-for-profit organizations with interest in housing and the quality of the built environment.
Performance Schedule:
Thursdays, October 19 and 26, November 2, 2006, 6:30 PM
Fridays, October 20 and 27, November 3, 2006, 7:30 PM
Saturdays, October 21 and 28, November 4, 2006, 7:30 PM
Saturday Matinee, November 4, 2006, 2:30 PM
Tickets: $10-$40 (some restrictions apply). Tickets are on sale at the TPAC Box Office, 505 Deaderick St., in Downtown Nashville, at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills, and all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets may be ordered by phone: (615) 255-ARTS (2787) or at www.ticketmaster.com.
The mission of Tennessee Repertory Theatre is to be a flagship regional theatre by creating the highest quality professional theatre, serving Middle Tennessee as a prime cultural resource, and contributing to the cultural, educational, economic and general welfare of Nashville, Middle Tennessee, and the State of Tennessee. It produces work that is designed, built, and rehearsed in Nashville by highly skilled actors, designers, directors, and technicians. A non-profit organization, Tennessee Rep produces a blend of comedies and dramas each year, from world classics to prize-winning contemporary plays, in Polk and Johnson Theaters at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
