August 17 – September 4, 2016
Directed by Brendon Fox
Sponsored by Main Street Market
Midwest première of Kenneth Jones’ new play “Alabama Story.” Inspired by true events, it centers on Emily Wheelock Reed, a fearless librarian who fights a campaign to purge what becomes, during the course of the play, a controversial book from the state library. The book is “The Rabbit’s Wedding,” a picture book aimed towards children aged 3 to 7, illustrated by Garth Williams (best known for his illustrations of “Little House on the Prairie” and “Charlotte’s Web”). The book tells the sweet story of two little rabbits who lived ‘happily ever after’ in the friendly forest. However, one rabbit is white and the other black and we are in 1959 Montgomery, Alabama. “Alabama Story” was a 2014 finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference.
The play pits Senator E.W. Higgins, a bullying segregationist, against the redoubtable Emily Wheelock Reed – incredible opposites and incredible forces – and puts both of their worlds at risk, though they are both tied by a love of books. While they spar, a parallel story of childhood friends, Joshua and Lily, a black man and a white woman reunited in adulthood, reflects the personal and political tensions swirling in Montgomery.
$37, $40, $43.
8PM Tuesday – Saturday and 7:30PM on Sunday except September 4th at 4PM.
| Scenic Design | Jack Magaw |
| Costume Design | Karin Simonson Kopischke |
| Lighting Design | Emil Boulos |
| Sound Design | Christopher Kriz |
| Properties | Pauline Olesky |
| Stage Manager | William Collins |
| Production Manager | Laura Eilers |
Wheelchairs/Walkers/Scooters
Accessible seating (wheelchairs and walkers etc.) with no stairs is available in Row K. Every row, other than Row K has a step(s). Please phone the Box Office for the availability of accessible seating in Row K.
Assisted Listening System
Assisted Listening Devices (ALD) amplify and clarify sound by cutting down ambient noise. Peninsula Players is equipped with a Hearing Loop in rows A to S and an FM-based ALD system in the balcony rows AA and BB. Patrons who require an ALD may visit the Canteen before the show. Reservations are not necessary. These devices are offered free of charge on a first-come-first-served basis. A driver’s license or ID with printed address is required as a security deposit.
| Garth Williams | James Leaming |
| Lily Whitfield | Katherine Keberlein |
| Joshua Moore | Byron Glenn Willis |
| Senator E.W. Higgins | Greg Vinkler |
| Emily Wheelock Reed | Carmen Roman |
| Thomas Franklin | Harter Clingman |
