New play captures the hard angles of love, war and life transitions
As a seasoned photo journalist, Sarah Goodwin has made her
living looking through a lens, freezing moments of heartache, horror and
humanity in the war-torn corners of the globe. She and her long-time partner,
combat reporter James Dodd, have always shared a deep commitment to their work.
So when a
roadside bomb in Iraq sends
her home to New York
for months of painful recovery, both are reeling from the trauma. In witty,
engaging conversation, the couple gingerly explores this new direction their
lives have taken, not sure what it’s revealing. Can they recover from the
wounds and adjust to a more conventional life? And should they?
Those are among
the core questions explored in Pulitzer-Prize winning author Donald Margulies’s
highly acclaimed new drama, Time Stands
Still. Sierra Rep is proud to bring this provocative new play to its East
Sonora stage October 5 through 28.
As Sarah and
James struggle to bring their relationship and their careers back into focus,
fissures emerge. When their old friend and editor arrives with his new young
girlfriend, the contrasts are stark for everyone in the room.
The New York Times wrote that the play “crackles with bright wit
and intelligence,” and called it “a moving portrait of a troubled
relationship…an intelligent, absorbing drama…Time Stands Still can feel like eavesdropping on two cherished
friends at their most vulnerable and emotionally exposed.”
Scott Gilbert,
formerly artistic director at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and The Foothill
Theatre Company in Nevada City, is guest directing the compelling story with a
dynamic, powerful cast.
Los Angeles actor Stasha Surdyke is Sarah and New Yorker Joe
Gately is her partner, James. Both are accomplished professional actors with
years of stage and screen credits. Surdyke just finished leading roles at the
Laguna Playhouse and produced and starred in an award-winning production of
Noel Coward’s Private Lives in
Burbank. Gately’s recent regional productions range from Daddy Warbucks in Annie to the historical drama Triangle Shirt Fire to the drama God of Carnage.
Playing their long-time
friend Richard and his new fiancé, Mandy, are long-time SRT Company Actor Ty
Smith and newcomer Lindsey Graham of Los Angeles.
The characters
are all very well drawn, Gilbert said, and the ensemble cast “will keep you
mesmerized” as you are drawn into their fascinating world.
“Margulies is a
really good writer, and he’s crafted a very good play about interesting people
caught up in an interesting situation,” Gilbert said. “We get caught up in
them…they’re smart and they’re funny. It’s captivating to see them grapple with
real issues in real ways. There are genuinely funny moments and some genuinely
troubling ones.”
The contrast of
the two relationships is the heart of the story, Gilbert said, “but there are
larger forces also being reflected.” Sarah and James are at a turning point in
their careers, and are asking themselves serious questions about their roles as
journalists on the front lines of conflict.
In an interview with the blog “More Intelligent Life,” Margulies
said Time Stands Still is not a
political play, but is “very much about the choices and compromises we all make
– in love, in work and, particular in this play, in war. Ethical struggles
touch on all aspects of life.”
Gilbert said it’s intriguing for him to have such a contemporary
setting.
“As a director,
I’m very used to taking something really old and finding ways to make it
relevant to today’s audience,” he said. “This play is directly connected to the
way people live now and what’s going on in the world today. That’s exciting.”
Gilbert will be
working with SRT’s resident production team to bring the story to life. SRT
Producing Director Dennis Jones is the show’s scenic designer. He will be
joined by Lighting Designer Christopher Van Tuyl,
Costume Designer Bina Bieker, property master Mercy Sharpe and Stage Manager
Lia Metz.
Time Stands Still opens Friday, October
5 at the East Sonora Theatre and runs through Sunday, October 28. Thursday and Friday performances begin at 7
p.m., Saturday evening shows begin at 8, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday
matinees begin at 2 p.m. There is a Thursday talk back with cast, crew and
designers on Thursday, October 18 immediately following the show. Friday nights
will also feature wine tasting with selected local wineries.
Tickets for performances are $24-$30 depending
on the performance day, with discounts available for students, seniors and
groups.
For more
information or reservations, call Sierra Rep’s box office at (209) 532-3120 or
visit Sierra Rep at www.sierrarep.org.
This show is
rated R, for language and mature themes.
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