Director starts Rep tenure with Southern classic

The Arkansas Repertory Theatre's "new" producing artistic director, John Miller-Stephany -- only the Rep's third leader in its 41-year history -- will begin his play selecting (and directing) tenure here with The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Rebecca Gilman's 2005 adaptation of Carson McCullers' 1940 novel.

"The Acting Company of New York City, with whom I had a long-term relationship, commissioned the play, but I had never seen a production of the play," Miller-Stephany says. "I read the play and fell in love with it. Of course, the book is a masterpiece and the play is a very, very strong adaptation of the novel, unlike the film, which, I think, took many liberties as far as I'm concerned.

"This is the first time I've lived in the South, and one of the great traditions of American literature is the Southern tradition. ... I'm very fond of the great Southern writers, such as (William) Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, so I thought we should start with a Southern story. And in thinking of what type of story I wanted to tell, I thought that it was really important to have a sort of cross-section of a community, and that's what this play is."

In the play's beginning, the focus is on the relationship between two men who can't hear or speak who live together in a 1930s Georgia mill town until one of them misbehaves and is taken away to an insane asylum.

Christopher Tester, who has the lead role of jewelry worker John Singer, spoke through American Sign Language interpreter Ray James.

"This is my first show to actually portray a deaf character as distinct from my roles in shows for the New York Deaf Theatre," Tester says. "But this show involves following a script that has a deaf character written into it. Part of the sadness of my relationship with my room­­­mate, when he is taken away, is that I cannot get any information about him since I am not a family member.

"As a deaf actor, I can focus on the character of John Singer and how he builds a relationship with the other characters, rather than on 'how do I play like I'm deaf?' That becomes an important part of the story."

Miller-Stephany notes that Singer writes much of what he communicates with the other characters on a pad, except when he is signing back and forth with the friend and roommate who is taken away.

"We all gravitate toward Singer. Even though he can't hear, he really listens. The characters feel that he really understands them. My character really sees him as a mentor. She loves music and feels that he just knows what she is feeling, as when she is listening to a symphony by Beethoven for the first time," says Madeline Adelle Phillips, who plays Mick Kelly, a teenage music-loving tomboy who confides in Singer.

Miller-Stephany says part of the appeal of the play is the mix of various stories and coming-of-age stories that come together: "I thought that was important in the community, with the idea of giving voice to some of these marginalized characters. It seems that people are feeling more and more isolated, which is a great irony, since communication has never been easier. People are feeling left out, and the powers-that-be in our country are marginalizing more and more people."

Others in the 13-member cast are Gregory Myhre as Biff Brannon; Mark Torres as Charles Parker and Preacher; Graham Halstead as Deputy and Attendant; Daniel Napolitano as Harry Minowitz; Lou Sumrall as Jake Blount; Thomas DellaMonica as Millworker, Deputy and Patient; Cullen R. Titmas as Mr. Kelly; Myxoldyia "Myxy" Tyler as Portia; J.W. Guido as Spiros Antonapoulos; and Martavius Parrish as Willie Copeland.

Tyler and Myhre are the only cast members with previous experience at the Rep; she played Beneatha in the 2011 production of A Raisin in the Sun and he played four roles in Macbeth in 2015.

Additional play events include:

• At noon today, the Clinton School of Public Service Distinguished Speaker Series will present Miller-Stephany and members of the cast and creative team in a panel discussion at the Clinton School of Public Service, 1200 President Clinton Ave. To reserve seats, email publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or call (501) 683-5239.

• At 6 p.m. today, the play's second preview performance of opening week will include Beer Night, provided by Lost Forty Brewing and Arkansas Times.

• At 6 p.m. Friday, the Rep will inaugurate a new feature, Opening Night Dinner, in celebration of Miller-Stephany's first programmed season at the Rep. The three-course dinner will be held in the Rep's Rehearsal Hall, with libations before dinner. Cost is $75 per person; to make reservations, call (501) 378-0405. (Tickets to the performance are not included.)

• Six performances will be sign-interpreted: opening night; 7 p.m. Wednesday; 8 p.m. Sept. 1; 7 p.m. Sept. 6; 7 p.m. Sept. 7; and 2 p.m. Sept. 10. The ASL interpreter will be positioned in front of a special expanded section. Contact the box office to reserve seating.

• There will also be an opening night, post-show reception with the cast, complimentary champagne and light hors d'oeuvres from RSVP Catering.

• At 7 p.m. Sunday only, "Pay Your Age Night" will permit those between ages 22 and 40 to pay the equivalent of their age for a ticket. There are 100 such tickets available and only four tickets per household will be sold, with proof of age for each person in a party required when tickets are picked up. There will be a complimentary wine tasting provided by Legacy Wine and Spirits.

• On Tuesday, immediately following the performance, will be "Epilogue: A Conversation With the Actors."

• At 6 p.m. Aug. 31, Stone's Throw Brewery will sponsor Beer Night.

• At 6:30 p.m., Sept. 1, there will be music before the show by Duover in Foster's (tickets are not required for admission to Foster's).

• On Sept. 10, following the evening performance, there will be an after-party in Foster's, with drinks and appearances by cast members.

Weekend on 08/24/2017