Recent Tragic Events

May 17th, 2011

by Craig Wright

Directed by: Noah Herman

for Players Club of Swarthmore’s
2nd Stage

Production dates: (Admission is $10 at the door. Cash or check only.)

January 2011
Fri. Sat.
28 29
February 2011
Fri. Sat.
4 5
11 12

Tickets are available at the door starting at 7:30 p.m.

There are no advance sales, but we make sure there are plenty of seats.

Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. for all Second Stage events.


Synopsis:

With a cast of two women and two men, Recent Tragic Events tells the story of September 12, 2001 through the eyes of a young Minneapolis advertising executive named Waverly, who is soon to venture out on a blind date with Andrew, a neurotic but charming bookstore manager. Andrew arrives at Waverly’s apartment in the midst of television news coverage of the September 11th attacks, and Waverly becomes preoccupied when she discovers that her twin sister, a student in New York, has not been heard from. With constant flickering light from the television and a ringing telephone that sends shivers down the spine, Recent Tragic Events reminds us of what the world felt like on “the day after”, but it does so with unexpected, sometimes side-splitting, humor.

Director Noah Herman says, “Recent Tragic Events is a comedy, but it’s a comedy of deep human emotion in all of its contrasting forms. I believe that comedy is the best way we have in theater of dealing with issues that would otherwise be too deep or upsetting. When we’re in a theater laughing, we lose ourselves and become sucked into the world of the play. We are automatically connected in joy to our fellow audience, which is the ultimate goal of Recent Tragic Events – to encourage us to connect in a world than can, at any moment, be torn apart by tragedy. ”

A blind date teeters between good and bad…good when Andrew sees Waverly and is dumbstruck by her looks; good when he goes through her bookcase and finds all his favorite titles; less good when the guy next door shows up and uncorks the wine Andrew brought; good when Waverly wants Andrew to hold her hand…but it might be better if she weren’t sobbing uncontrollably. This inventive play follows some people you’d really like to know better into a catastrophe not of their making.

Not recommended for pre-teens.

Contact the director Noah Herman at NAHmovie@aol.com for more information.


Cast
Waverly Siobhan Groves
Andrew Craig Copas
Ron Jimmy Lepone
Nancy Julie Grega

Andrew and Waverly

Andrew (Craig Copas) and Waverly (Siobhan Groves)

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