The Sister Series
This season, the series will feature three new works, each making its central Virginia premiere, and a revival of an old favorite.
October 6 – 15, 2018
About Daring to be Different
The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
by James Lecesne
One actor portrays every character in a small Jersey Shore town as he unravels the story of Leonard Pelkey, a tenaciously optimistic and flamboyant fourteen-year-old boy who goes missing. A luminous force of nature whose magic is only truly felt once he is gone, Leonard becomes an unexpected inspiration as the town’s citizens question how they live, who they love, and what they leave behind. Running in tandem with The Laramie Project.
January 31 – February 2, 2019
Life. Changing. Stories.
Trans Scripts
by Paul Lucas
An original stage play based on material assembled from more than 75 interviews conducted with people from around the world who identify as transgender. Its characters range in age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational level, and age at transition. Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women, centers on the lives of seven transgender women (male to female). Their true stories, told in their own words, are honest, funny, moving, insightful and inspiring. But most of all, they are human, shedding light not on our differences, but on what all people share, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation or physical sex.
May 15 – 25, 2019
The Bitch is Back!
Miss Gulch Returns
by Fred Barton
A hilarious musical parody of the character from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Blurring the line between fiction and reality, the show builds on the premise that Almira Gulch was an actress—rather than a character portrayed by an actress—who appeared in The Wizard of Oz (as herself), and who has existence beyond that film, most notably as a second-tier nightclub performer. Local favorite Robert Throckmorton returns to the role, after performing two sold-out runs at RTP a decade ago, and also an RTP-sponsored stint at the National Gay and Lesbian Theater Festival.
June 24 – July 9, 2019
When Flannel was the Height of Fashion and Mix Tapes were the Language of Love
Girlfriend
by Todd Almond and Matthew Sweet
A vibrant and tender coming of age musical duet from when flannel was the height of fashion and mix tapes were the language of love. It’s 1993 in small-town Nebraska during the summer between high school and whatever comes next. College-bound jock Mike and self-assured but aimless Will find themselves drawn to each other. Their rush of first-time love, full of excitement, confusion and passion, is captured by the power-pop precision and frayed guitar emotion of Matthew Sweet’s alternative rock album Girlfriend. Running in tandem with Grey Gardens.
