merelyplayers.org - 'Pure Morning' previews begin tonight

Visit Merely
Players @

Press Room

'Pure Morning' previews begin tonight

6/12/09

by Beth Wilberding
Messenger-Inquirer

Merely Players have produced shows by British playwright Graham Farrow during the last two summers.

Those productions, "Rattlesnakes" and "Talk About the Passion," also had been performed by other theater groups.

This summer, Merely Players are producing and presenting the world premiere of Farrow's "Pure Morning," a show commissioned by the theater company.

"It's been exciting, really, to see ideas come to life," Farrow said before a recent rehearsal.

Previews for "Pure Morning" begin tonight at Healing America. The show will premiere in Indianapolis later this month.

"Pure Morning" explores six strangers, all who have issues with authority or the government, who end up in a hotel room together as the president is coming to their small town.

Farrow started working on "Pure Morning" in February and finished it in May. He described the play as a psychological thriller about ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.

In the program for the show, Farrow wrote the play "represents no affiliation to any political party, particular leader or endorses or backs any particular government policy. ... That said, it is a play which I hope will ask questions and raise debate."

"Pure Morning" is Rachel Simmons' directorial debut. She has done technical work on the previous Farrow productions Merely Players has presented, and she decided to direct the show even before reading the script.

"I knew Graham was going to give us something that was amazing," Simmons said. "I love that as soon as you think you have (the show) figured out, you don't."

The character of Mickey Sinclair was written with actor Kevin Roach in mind. Roach is also co-artistic director of Merely Players.

Roach described his character as bitter with a dark past. He compared the show to the early works of Stephen King.

"What extremes they will go to when put in extraordinary circumstances," Roach said. "It's frightening because you have characters like mine and ones with a beef with society today."

Bill Glenn and Michele Rose are making their Merely Players acting debuts in "Pure Morning."

Glenn has previously performed in musical theater, and Rose, 18, recently graduated from Mount Vernon (Ind.) High School and plans to study theater at the University of Southern Indiana.

Both got involved with Merely Players because they are friends with some of the other company members.

Rose wanted to be part of the show because Farrow wrote it. She is portraying Lauren White, a housekeeper.

"I heard Graham was doing a new show. ... I knew this one was going to be great," Rose said.

Glenn plays Frank Warner, a traveling salesman unhappy with his personal life and his career. He also helped design and build the set.

The play "keeps you on the edge of your seat," Glenn said. "You never see the end coming."

To Attend

Previews for "Pure Morning" are at 8 tonight and Saturday at Healing America, Ninth and Allen streets. More preview performances will be at 8 p.m. June 19 & 20 at Evansville Civic Theatre's Underground at the Annex.

The world premiere will be at 8 p.m. June 26 and 27 and 2 p.m. June 28 at IndyFringe Central in Indianapolis. Tickets are $10 and are available online and at the door.

For more information, visit www.merelyplayers.org. There will be a question-and-answer session with Graham Farrow after each production.