A darkly comic Southern drama about love, art and the power of women will soon be coming to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre stage.
The UTC Theatre Co. continues its 2023-2024 season with its production of “Alabaster,” written by award-winning playwright and Alabama native Audrey Cefaly. The play, directed by UTC professor Gaye Jeffers, is an all-female production, as the cast, designers and stage managers are all women.
Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-18, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance Saturday, Nov. 18. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here and through the UTC Box Office – in person or by phone (423-425-4369). Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors.
The play’s quirkiness, mixed with dark comedy and painful emotions, is what drives “Alabaster,” Jeffers says.
“It’s kind of like when we say, ‘Art heals.’ The play kind of talks about ‘How does that work?’ and ‘What does it mean?’” she says. “The scars that we don’t see are just as valid as the ones we do see.”
UTC senior Maegan Whitlock says playing June – the production’s lead character – is a challenge due to the character’s complexity.
“Her trauma is unimaginable to someone like me, and trying to get into that head space and understand how she feels really is intense,” Whitlock says. “In many scenes, she explains her pain and, as we go through the process of rehearsals each day, I feel for her more and more.”
Other cast members include theater majors Calista Geralds, a junior from Chattanooga; Nancy Tillman, a senior from Franklin; and Karlee Ming Jamieson, a sophomore from Murfreesboro.
Upcoming UTC Theatre Co. productions include:
• “9 to 5: The Musical,” with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick (Feb. 27-March 2, 2024). Based on the 1980 hit movie, this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic.
• “Out at Sea” by Slawomir Mrozek (April 9-13, 2024). An absurdist tale of survival and democratic decision-making.
For more information, visit the UTC Theatre webpage at www.utc.edu/arts-and-sciences/theatre.
Source: UTC Theatre