Shenandoah Conservatory kicks off its Shenandoah Theatre Lab series with “In the Red and Brown Water” under the direction of Shenandoah Conservatory Associate Professor of Theatre, Kirsten Trump, M.F.A. “In the Red and Brown Water” opens Friday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. in Glaize Studio Theatre. The production runs Friday, Sept. 19, through Sunday, Sept. 21.
“In the Red and Brown Water,” by Tarell Alvin McCraney, blends elements of Greek tragedy and Yoruban mythology to create a rich gumbo of cultures. Set in the “distant present,” it utilizes the heightened language of classical poets, spoken with the soul of the African American projects of a fictitious Louisiana town.
The “gumbo” is spiced up with the help of blues guitarist Billy Thompson, who provides live music for the production. Thompson has performed as lead guitarist for the off-Broadway production of “Ain’t Nothin but the Blues,” as well as for Keith Glover’s critically acclaimed bluesical, “Thunder Knockin’ on the Door.” He has toured Europe with Queen Esther Marrow’s Harlem Gospel Singers, and he has played with such blues icons as Little Milton, Albert King, Earl King and Larry Arkansas Davis. Trump and Thompson also worked together in 2004 with the CATF production “The Rose of Corazon.”
Shenandoah Conservatory’s Shenandoah Theatre Lab Series presents “In the Red and Brown Water” on Friday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 21, at 2:30 p.m. in the Glaize Studio Theatre on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.
This production contains adult language and content. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $9 for seniors. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Shenandoah University Box Office at 540/665-4569 or visit www.conservatoryperforms.org. Group discounts are available for groups of 20 or more.
