The Trinity River Plays
By Regina Taylor
Directed by Ethan McSweeny
Originally produced at Dallas Theater Center, Dallas, TX.
November 5, 2010 through December 5, 2010
Co-production with Goodman Theatre
About the Premiere Production: After her marriage falls apart, Iris makes her annual trip home to Dallas for her mother Rose's birthday. For Iris, home is a place where nothing ever changes, a refuge from the storm. But change is afoot in her mother's house, and Iris and Rose must learn to weather the storm together.
Artistic Statement: Over the past two years, Dallas Theater Center has demonstrated its commitment to producing new plays and musicals. From The Good Negro to Give It Up, we’ve brought talented writers and directors here to create new work in Dallas…for Dallas – plays that will then go on to a future life at theaters across the country.
This season, we will produce a world premiere of a new play by a nationally recognized playwright with deep ties to our own community. Regina Taylor, the author of Crowns and Drowning Crow, was born and raised here in Dallas. Her play is an intensely personal and moving portrait of family, motherhood, and the ties that bind one generation to the next.
Presented in a co-production with Chicago’s acclaimed Goodman Theatre, this deeply human drama will first premiere here in Dallas and then go on to perform at one of the nation’s most esteemed theaters.
We are proud to welcome Regina back home with this world-premiere production of her new work, The Trinity River Plays.
What this grant has allowed us to do: The Trinity River Plays was originally conceived as single, intimate, small-scale drama. As playwright Regina Taylor continued to work on it, the scope of the work expanded. This ambitious project now encompasses three related one-acts – Jarfly, Rain, and Ghoststory – and spans 20 years in the life of a family. Support from the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award will provide critical additional rehearsal time to explore the relationships in this intricate trilogy.
As Taylor has said, “This is a work that should be home grown and supported. I believe I will continue to learn a great deal about its specific truths in developing the play under the leadership of DTC’s artistic director Kevin Moriarty. The company possesses the proven ability and devotion to produce new works and provides an ideal and logical place to premiere a play set in Dallas that can and will go on to successful future productions.”
Director: Ethan McSweeny
Set Design: Todd Rosenthal
Lighting Design: Tyler Micoleau
Sound Design: Steven Cahill
Costume Design: Karen Perry
News
How Do You Deal With Life’s Hard Rain? Regina Taylor Speaks About The Trinity River Plays.
D Magazine, November 3, 2010