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(l-r) Lanny Spires, Clint Clayborn, Paul Kaufmann, Stann Gwynn, Clint Poston and Park Bucker |
(l-r) Park Bucker and Hunter Bolton |
By Terrance McNally
Workshop Theatre is very proud
to bring another masterwork by
award-winning playwright Terrance
McNally to the stage March 19 - April 3. In Love! Valour!
Compassion! we meet eight gay
men over a year as they vacation
together at the home of one of
their longtime friends. Wrapped
around these holidays are infidelity,
soul-searching, humor, bitterness,
newfound love and even death. Oh
yeah — and did we mention skinny
dipping and a cross-dressing version
of Swan Lake tossed in?
The story focuses on the host, Gregory
(Park Bucker), a very successful choreographer facing getting older
and possible loss of creativity, and his
lover Bobby (Hunter Bolton), a legal
assistant who has been blind since birth. Joining them at their
home are Arthur (Clint Clayborn) and Perry (Stann Gwynn),
a longtime couple who have faced their own relationship
challenges, but never know where the next obstacle might come from. John Jeckyll (Paul Kaufmann), Gregory’s very bitter
rehearsal pianist, brings a very attractive, very uninhibited
dancer, Ramon (Lanny Spires), as his "special" guest for the
weekend, which throws a very different, very HOT element
into the weekends. Winding up this unusual crew is Buzz Hauser
(Clint Poston), a true Broadway Baby if there ever was one, as
outspoken and flamboyant as his wardrobe — Buzz is never one
to mince words.
Love! Valour! Compassion! debuted off-Broadway in 1994 and
then moved to Broadway with veteran actors Nathan Lane,
Stephen Spinella and John Glover. The play went on to win
multiple Tony Awards, including Best
Actor and Best Play, and was then
adapted into a wide-release movie.
In both versions the central themes
of relationships and the little things
that divide us — or bind us — are
clear. There are fine lines between
love and hate, success and failure,
and our own capacity to forgive that
make for great themes in the show.
McNally also asks us to question
relationships of all kinds and begin to
see how friends can become family
and even the ones you hate are the
ones you can sometimes always
count on.
Workshop director Scott Blanks (Les
Liaisons Dangereuses, Amadeus, Ragtime) weaves together all of
these elements to make a dazzling
night of theatre sure to delight all audiences. Scenic designer
Randy Strange is constructing the perfect set for all of our
many locales, and Barry Sparks will tackle the intricate lighting
necessary for this subtle piece.
The show is presented in three acts with two intermissions.
Due to the length of the show, all evening performances (Wednesdays through Saturdays) will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the Sunday matinee at the usual time of 3:00 p.m.
Love! Valour! Compassion! is proudly sponsored by Agape Senior,
Hubbard Bowers Real Estate, Robert Barnes and Jerry Kelly,
and Wil Sligh.
NOTE: Due to mature themes, adult content and nudity, this show is
for mature audiences only and is not suitable for patrons under
the age of 18.
The Reviews Are In!
"The genuine joys and sorrows in the characters' lives, and the professional performances by the cast make for an enjoyable evening at the theatre." -- August Krickel, Onstage Columbia [Click here to read the full review]
"In its combination of humor and pathos and its exploration of timeless themes, like the nature of love and the vagaries of the human heart, it transcends period. (Playwright Terrance) McNally evokes everything from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to Chekhov, to The Autumn Garden of Lillian Hellman, to Our Town. In the end though, the work is entirely his, and it is well worth revisiting or, if you’ve never seen it, encountering for the first time." -- Richard Irwin, Free Times [Click here to read the full review]
DATES: March 19-20, 24-28, 31 and April 1-3, 2010
CURTAIN TIME: Curtain at 7:30 p.m., except for the 3:00 p.m. matinee on March 28
TICKETS: $18 for adults; $15 for seniors/military; $12 for students
BOX OFFICE: Tickets are on sale for member March 10, and to all others on March 15. Order online 24 hours a day (on or after March 15) by clicking here. (To learn more about online reservations, click here.) Or call the Box Office at 799-6551. Box Office hours are noon - 5:30 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays.
SEATING: To view a seating chart, click
here.
