The Filigree Theatre Announces Their Season Three Winter Production THE TURN OF THE SCREW

The Filigree Theatre, the Austin-based, women-led, independent theatre company announces their Season Three Winter Production: "The Turn of the Screw," by Jeffrey Hatcher, set to run from Jan. 30 - Feb. 9, 2020 at Romy Suskin Photography Studio (2617 S. First St., Austin, Texas 78704), Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. This production will be directed by The Filigree Theatre Founding Artistic Director, Elizabeth V. Newman and will star Austin actors James Lindsley and Paulina Fricke-Fox. Tickets for this production will be available for purchase Jan. 1 2020 on The Filigree Theatre website and directly via Eventbrite. The audience is invited to join the director, cast and crew for complimentary cookies and champagne following each performance.

"The Turn of the Screw," adapted for the stage by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Henry James novella, is a provocative tale of suspense, horror and repressed sexuality. With actors James Lindsley (as "Man") and Paulina Fricke-Fox (as "Governess"), Director Elizabeth V. Newman's production gives the famous story yet another turn of its own. In "The Turn of The Screw," a young Governess journeys to a lonely English manor house to care for two recently orphaned children. Before long, she learns of the dark history and unspeakable secrets that haunt this isolated estate. She soon begins to feel the presence of evil spectors, whom she believes are tormenting the children in her care. At the same time, she, herself, is tortured by a frightening question: are the ghosts real or are they the product of her own fevered imagination?

"It is thrilling to be directing Hatcher's adaptation of 'The Turn of the Screw' and to work within the playwright's mandate that the production be as spare and austere as possible, leaving much to darkness and to the imagination for this mid-winter's ghost story," said Elizabeth V. Newman, the show's director. "It is a wonderful reminder about the power of live theatre and about how little one really needs to create a piece that is both compelling and frightening."

Alayna McNamara (Stage Manager), Jennifer Rose Davis (Costume Design), Alison Lewis (Lighting Design) and Bernadette Nason (Dialect Coach) round out the all-female design team for this production.

The Filigree Theatre Founding Artistic Director Elizabeth V. Newman

ABOUT FILIGREE'S THIRD SEASON:

"Connecting to the past; planting the seeds of the future."

The Filigree Theatre's annual season is structured to connect the Past, Present and Future of theatre over the course of a three-show season. Each season is comprised of: FALL (Past) represented by a play from the theatre cannon; WINTER (Present) represented by a play that is the work of a playwright living/working today and SPRING (Future) represented by a play that is a world premiere. Each season is tied together with a common theme that runs throughout the three shows. Filigree's Third Season theme is "Fear & Fearlessness."

"It is very exciting to explore this season's theme of 'Fear and Fearlessness,'" said Newman. "In each of our three productions, our casts and crews, along with our audiences, will look at what FEAR really means. In what ways is this emotion common to all of us? What kinds of fears do we each face? Are our threats internal or external? We also get to dig into what FEARLESS means: how do we overcome those very shadows and doubts? How do we stare monsters in the face and forge on?"

This season kicked off this FALL with a sold-out production of "Fefu and Her Friends" by prolific Cuban-American playwright, Maria Irene Fornes and will be rounded out with the World Premiere of Charlie Thurston's "Lifted" in April as the SPRING show.

The Filigree Theatre also announces the latest installment of their ongoing STAGE ONE Reading Series. This staged reading workshop series introduces new works from both established and up-and-coming screenwriters and playwrights, performed by professional actors for an invited audience and fellow industry members. The upcoming STAGE ONE reading will take place Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020 at the Austin Cinemaker Space (2200 Tillery St., Austin, Texas 78723) at 6 p.m., and will consist of a stage reading of "Teen Dad" by Austin playwright, Adrian Dawes. For more information, please see here.

Photos from The Filigree Theatre's production of "Fefu and Her Friends"

ABOUT THE FILIGREE THEATRE:

The Filigree Theatre, founded by Elizabeth V. Newman (Producing Artistic Director) and Stephanie Moore (Season 1 and 2 co-Managing Director), is committed to producing high-level, professional theatre in the city of Austin and to collaborating with local artists working across creative disciplines including fine arts, dance, film and music. The company's name, "Filigree," meaning "the complex intertwining of delicate threats of gold and silver," was derived from the Latin words for thread (filum) and seed (granum), which serves as the basis for the company's dual mission: to serve both as a "seed" by incubating, supporting and celebrating emerging theatre-makers in Austin and as a "thread" by connecting Austin artists to theatre communities in New York and Los Angeles, and vice-versa. The Filigree Theatre is likewise dedicated to forging connections with diverse audiences, in Austin, and beyond.