Waterworks Players team up with Moton for special event
Published 3:28 am Saturday, February 1, 2025
- Pictured are, from left, Sean Dowse, Audrey Kott, Grayson Clabo, Sarah Varela, Erik Varela, Jordan McPherson, Eric Hooper, Leigh Lunsford, Logan Schock and Troy Halliday.
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The Waterworks Players Community Theatre will be collaborating with Moton Museum for their next production, Appropriate. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Appropriate premiered Off-Broadway in 2014 and won the Obie Award for Best New American Play. In 2024 it was nominated for 8 Tony awards and won three, including Best Revival of a Play. In this darkly comic American family drama, the Lafayette clan has returned to their Arkansas home to deal with the estate of their late patriarch. The appearance of an estranged sibling and the discovery of disturbing historical objects bring about the eruption of long-hidden secrets and buried resentments as the family is forced to face the ghosts of their past.
Executive Director of the Moton Museum Cainan Townsend and Director of Appropriate and Waterworks Board Member Sean Dowse said they’re excited about this collaboration. They hope the events planned will provide the community with an enlightening opportunity to explore the underlying racial and social themes in the play.
First open rehearsal this weekend
The first event will be an “Open Rehearsal” at the Moton from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2. The Players will perform a scene from the show, followed by a discussion of scene staging and content. This event is free and open to the public.
“Staging challenging content in theatre requires direct and vulnerable performance and a nuanced understanding of audience response,” Dowse said. “The nature of challenging content often involves themes, narratives, and presentations that provoke thought, evoke strong emotions, and sometimes even instigate controversy. In such contexts, the actor’s presentation and the audience’s reaction to that presentation is not only a measure of the performance’s impact but also a crucial feedback mechanism that can shape and refine the creative process.”
Moton will also have a free screening of the documentary film An Outrage by Hannah Ayers and Lance Warren at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7. This approximately 30-minute film addresses the history of lynching in the American South. After the film, there will be a moderated discussion session with attendees. “What do you do with uncomfortable subject matter?” asks Townsend. “What is your responsibility to the legacy of your ancestors and how do you respond when the values of your relatives do not align with your own?”
When will Waterworks Players perform?
Performances of Appropriate are Feb. 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. Following the matinee on Feb. 16, there will be a talkback session with Dowse, Townsend, and the actors. Moton will also be providing educational materials for the program and for display in the lobby of the theatre. Tickets can be purchased online at https://waterworksplayers.org/buytickets.
Cast members for Appropriate are Leigh Lunsford (Antoinette “Toni” Lafayette), Logan Schock (Rhys Thurston), Erik Varela (Beauregarde “Bo” Lafayette), Sarah Varela (Rachael Kramer-Lafayette), Audrey Kott (Cassidy “Cassie” Kramer-Lafayette), Grayson Clabo (Ainsley Kramer-Lafayette), Eric Hooper (Francois “Franz/Frank” Lafayette), and Jordan McPherson (River Rayner).