The community is invited to join Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga for their original piece, “The Living Newspaper” through April 7. Performances take place Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrews Center, located at 1918 Union Avenue.
“In 1935, in the throes of the Great Depression, our nation faced a great challenge. Unemployment was high, spirits were low, and the drums of war were banging across the Atlantic Ocean. People lost houses, lost fortunes, lost lives, and lost hope,” Jeff Parker, director, says. “In the midst of this dark time, the Federal Government and the WPA created a new form of theatre that directly spoke to the populace -- offering insight, heart, truth, and inspiration. This form of the Theatre was ‘The Living Newspaper.’”
“Today, we see a different kind of darkness, a different kind of challenge. Journalism has become a series of attacks and parries, insults and umbrage. It’s a time of bias, a time of shouting, a time of feigned outrage, and it’s unhealthy for all of us,” Parker continues. “It’s my hope that this piece of theatre addresses today’s issues with the truth, emotional availability, and interpersonal connection to which the first Living Newspaper aspired. Our group of young, talented writers and actors has taken issues near and dear to their hearts and combined scholarly research with artistic truth. We ourselves have had to develop new ways of communicating, of consensus building and of arguing our points of view while still holding deep respect for those who would disagree with us.”
Tickets are available for $10 at www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com, by calling (423) 987-5141, and at the box office. Doors open 30 minutes before each performance. Free parking is available behind St. Andrews Center.
Cast members include Brandi Alexander, Kyle Dagnan, Casey Keelen, Ryan Laskowski, Ellen Poole and Sarah Prince. Contributing writer is Eric “Red” Wyatt. Stage manager is Evie Durant.
ETC is a non-profit theatre company housed at the St. Andrews Center. This is ETC’s third season.