For theatergoers who enjoy classics of the 20th century, this weekend will bring an opportunity to see a well-known production. The Athenian Berean Community Players will present their production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof this weekend at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville.
Director Ron Luce said he chose to direct the Tennessee Williams’ play because he considers it a work of art. “It’s one of my favorite plays as a reader,” Luce said. “One of the things I really wanted to do was challenge the actors and audience with a complex play that requires a great deal of insight.”
Set in the South during the 1950s, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof centers on a multi-generational family that has gathered together to celebrate what might be the aging father’s last birthday. Emotionally intense and dramatic, the play explores the conflicts between often-drunk Brick and his wife, Maggie, who, to the disappointment of the rest of the family, have no children.
Luce said he thinks audience members will be able to relate to and sympathize with the characters in the show.
“The issues are universal. That’s part of what makes Williams a great writer,” Luce said. “He manages to capture in words far more than the words themselves. He takes us to a different place psychologically.”
Actor Bob Rymer, who plays Brick, said the play is a testament to how life was in a different era.
“He does some really gripping plays that make you think,” Rymer said. “It kind of opens your eyes to how things have changed.”
Actress Heidi Wilhelm, who plays Maggie, said the play’s subject matter is intense, but feels very real.
“It’s complicated, which is the way most families are,” Wilhelm said. “The audience slowly gets pulled into understanding what all the characters know at the beginning. It’s a snapshot; it’s one moment in a family’s life.”
Wilhelm said the intense scenes haven’t always been easy to act out, but that the experience has been rewarding.
“It’s been a huge growing experience,” Wilhelm said. “The director has really pushed us to find new levels for our characters and to portray our characters as real as we can get them.”
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If You Go
What: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
When: 8 p.m. today-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville
Admission: $7 for students, $10 for adults
