University Of Texas At Tyler Theatre Program Announces Casts

October 10, 2001

The University of Texas at Tyler’s Theatre Repertory Company has announced cast lists for the first two plays of the 2001-02 season.

“Contemporary International Comedy with Contrast” is the central theme of this year’s repertory season, Dr. James A. Hatfield, director of theatre, said. Alan Ayckbourn’s “Comic Potential’’ will open the season on Oct. 12-14, Oct. 26-28 and Nov. 16-18 in UT Tyler’s The Theatre. Martin McDonagh’s contemporary tragic-comedy, “The Beauty Queen of Leenane,’’ will be performed Nov. 9-11 and Nov. 30-Dec 2 at The Theatre, located in the UT Tyler Physical and Health Education Building.

Written as a love story, “Comic Potential’’ uses mechanical “actoids’’ enhanced by artificial intelligence to perform television “soap operas.’’ Ayckbourn describes the play as set in the foreseeable future where everything has changed except human nature.

Michael Stephens plays Chase, the television director. His television programmer Prim Spring will be performed by Connie Orr, and her assistant television technician, Trudi Floote, will be performed by Tracee White. Stephens and White are UT Tyler theatre graduate students. Orr is a newly enrolled junior.
“Actoid’’ Jacie Thriplethree will be performed by Beverly Pearson, also a junior and last season’s Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady.’’

Freshman Alex Hance performs the aspiring television writer, Adam Trainsmith, who becomes “actoid’’ Thriplethree’s love interest. His Aunt Lestra Trainsmith, performed by UT Tyler graduate Brandy Barrett, owns the television studio. Trainsmith employs administrator and accountant Carla Pepperbloom, who collects the attentions of younger men. Pepperbloom will be performed by UT Tyler graduate and TJC instructor Anita Livingston.
Performing both “actoids” and doubling as humans are UT Tyler seniors Jerone Turner, Michael Hanks and Michael Ward. UT Tyler Juniors Tillie Flores and David Poskey and freshmen Shareka Osby and Regina Van Zandt also create multiple human and “actoid” characters.

“Ayckbourn is the acknowledged master of British comedy and presents characters well suited to the talented student performers in our company,’’ Hatfield said.

Stephens and Pearson watched David Soul of “Starsky and Hutch’’ fame and London thespian Jane Dee perform as the television director and “actoid’’ Thriplethree at a London production during the UT Tyler theatre program’s summer travel/study.

Set in the mountains of Connemara, Ireland, “The Beauty Queen of Leenane’’ presents the story of Maureen Folan, the daughter and caretaker of her aging mother Meg. Maureen’s life is complicated by her domineering and manipulative mother, who interferes with her daughter’s only chance of a loving relationship with Pato Dooley.

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane’’ cast includes UT Tyler senior Erica Tecce creating the comically satirical daughter, Maureen Folan. Her mother will be performed by Osra Twomey of Tyler, who hails from Ireland and is the only cast member not rehearsing to perfect an Irish dialect, Hatfield said.
UT Tyler senior theatre major Zach Echols will play character Pato Dooley. Pato’s younger brother will be performed by freshman Kyle Haberstadt in his first performance at UT Tyler.

The production is in rehearsal under the direction of Dr. Mary Ellen Wright, lecturer of theatre.

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane’’ is an award-winning play that has been recognized by the Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Award for Playwriting. The play has received four Tony awards for the New York production. “UT Tyler presents one of the first university productions of this play that has been compared to the great works of Irish dramatist Synge,” Hatfield said.

For information contact the UT Tyler Theatre office at (903) 566-7490.