Photos: First Look At The PlayMakers Repertory Company Production Of THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE

PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of The Legend of Georgia McBride hopes to create a theatrical gateway to better understanding drag culture.

By: Mar. 29, 2023
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PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of The Legend of Georgia McBride hopes to use the play’s humor and heart to encourage understanding and allyship.

Written by Tony Award-winner Matthew L?pez (The Inheritance), the play follows the journey of an unemployed, heterosexual Elvis-impersonator who tries his luck at drag to make ends meet.

It premiered off-Broadway in 2015, a time in which its themes and humor landed quite differently than now, a fact which PlayMakers' Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch acknowledges unequivocally.

"We are currently in a time of divided confusion," says Benesch. "It cannot go unsaid that today, there is far more fear than joy being experienced in the real lives of many people in the trans and drag community."

"But I continue to believe in the power of theater as an agent of transformation," she adds. "And I hope this production will penetrate beyond the deeply needed entertainment it provides - and serve as an invitation to us all to be (or continue being) advocates and allies to the LGBTQ+ communities."

To support its mission to be advocates and allies, the theater has partnered with local Drag Kings and Queens for a post-show talk following the April 9th performance and a special Drag Show following the April 14th performance. 

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Jeffrey Meanza, this production features Jamison Stern (By Jeeves, Broadway) and Resident Company Members Jeffrey Blair Cornell, Jamar Jones, Saleemah Sharpe, and Adam Valentine.

The production team includes choreography by Matthew Steffens (Into the Woods, Broadway), sound by Kate Marvin, scenic design by Michael Raiford, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, and costumes by Asa Benally.

The PlayMakers Repertory Company production of The Legend of Georgia McBride opens in previews on March 29 and runs through April 16 in Chapel Hill. The show will stream on demand from April 13 through April 16.

For more information visit https://playmakersrep.org/show/the-legend-of-georgia-mcbride/.

Photo Credit: HuthPhoto

 


 


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