Backdoor Playhouse
The Season
TN Tech’s Theatre Program presents the Tech Players’
Sixty-ninth season in the Backdoor Playhouse.
Ticket Information | Our Event Calendar
Autumn 2023
Carrie: the Musical
Music by Michael Gore
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Book by Lawrence D. Cohen
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Directed by Mark Harry Creter
Musical Direction by Mendy Richards
November 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 2023 at 8:00 p.m.
November 9, 2023 at 10:00 p.m.
November 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
The Story:
Carrie White is a teenage outcast who longs to fit in. At school, she’s bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she's dominated by her loving but cruelly controlling mother. What none of them know is that Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it.
Set in the present in the small New England town of Chamberlain, Maine, Carrie: The Musical features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose).
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Winter 2023
T.B.D.
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Spring 2024
The Witch by Jen Silverman*
*Concord Licensing performance rights pending.
Directed by Prudence VanAalten
April 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Late Show: April 18, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Matinee: April 20, 2024 at 2:00 pm
SUMMARY
A charming devil arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth should be his easiest target, having been labeled a “witch” and cast out by the town, but her soul is not so readily bought. As the devil returns to convince her – and then returns again – unexpected passions flare, alliances are formed, and the village is forever changed. An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, this sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by.
Other Events Around Town:
COOKEVILLE THEATRE SEASON
Autumn 2023
Cookeville Performing Arts Center-
Dogwood Shakespeare in the Park MMXXIII presents
The Summoning of Everyman by Anonymous.
Directed by Mark Harry Creter.
September 29-October 7, 2023.
Curtain is 8:00 pm.
Admission is Free for all.
Box office at 528-1313 or visit their homepage, www.cookeville-tn.gov.
Sponsored by the City of Cookeville, Department of Leisure Services.
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Archives:
Autumn 2021
THE FANTASTICKS
Book & Lyrics by Tom Jones, Music by Harvey Schmidt
Directed by Mark Harry Creter
Music Direction by Mendy Richards
November 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
November 11, 2021 at 10:00 p.m.
November 13, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.
THE STORY:
There's always time to remember this romantic fable about a boy, a girl, their two parents and a love that grows with each season. "Try To Remember" a time when this romantic charmer wasn't enchanting audiences around the world. The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in the world and with good reason: at the heart of its breathtaking poetry and subtle theatrical sophistication is a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers. The result is a timeless fable of love that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time.
Produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
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Winter 2022.
The Wolves
by Sarah DeLappe
Directed by Joe Clark
February 3, 4, 5, 7, 8. 11, 12, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
February 10, 2022 at 10:00 p.m.
February 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
THE STORY:
The Wolves is a 2016 play by Sarah DeLappe. It premiered Off-Broadway at The Duke at 42nd Street in September 2016 and centers on the experiences of high school girls through their weekly Saturday morning pre-game soccer warmups. The play was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
“A delightful meditation on society, sex, and soccer.” – The Village Voice
Produced by special arrangement with Concord Publishing/Samuel French, Inc.
Produced in cooperation with Samuel French, Inc.
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Spring 2022.
The 32nd Annual Dorothy Printz Pennebaker Memorial Spring Production.
AIRNESS
By Chelsea Marcantel
Directed by Mark Harry Creter
March 31, April 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 2022 at 8:00 p.m.
April 7, 2022 at 10:00 p.m.
April 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
THE STORY:
“To shred or be shredded? That is the question.” Airness is an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us. A comedy about competition, completion, and finding the airness inside yourself.
“If you’ve ever had a passion the rest of the world looked down upon, Airness will have you cheering, booing, and jumping out of seat…”
-John Bavoso, DC Theatre Scene
Produced by Special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.
(www.playscripts.com)
