Bryce Monroe (Photo by Claire Jia)
NC Stage to Present Two Powerful Solo Productions
By Teryn Worsham
This month, Immediate Theatre Project (ITP) brings two thought provoking and topical plays to NC Stage. Running from September 8–10, The Lower Frequencies is a harrowing one-man play about the experience of being black in America. Then, from September 21 through October 9, Grounded focuses on the rise and unintended consequences of drone warfare.
Inspired by Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, Bryce Monroe wrote his solo piece, The Lower Frequencies, in response to the killings of black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the nation.
“What do artists do when confronted by pain? They create art,” says Willie Repoley, ITP cofounder. “It’s not just a way of creating a buffer from the pain; it’s a way of living in it, and processing it in a way that may offer some hope for change, a way that may open people’s hearts and minds to a new experience of our shared humanity.”
Bryce shares, “Through the work, I hope to continue to effectually change hearts, move minds, and inspire all communities to unite against racial injustice and dismantle the institutions of systematic oppression that remain ever present today.”
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. each night. Following the show, audiences can participate in a talk-back with Bryce to discuss the play and explore ways to engage communities in insightful and tolerant conversation. Tickets are $15–25, with $10 student tickets.
In George Brant’s Grounded, actress Blythe Coons portrays a pregnant Air Force pilot who faces new challenges when she is reassigned to operate drones from a trailer in the Nevada desert.
Blythe Coons
“Grounded so perfectly captures the push and pull of being a woman,” says Blythe, “of chasing one’s ambition while negotiating womanhood and all that comes with that—childbearing, love, maternal instincts. Grounded delves deep into the mind of a woman accustomed to combat—and not just accustomed to, but a woman who craves combat—only to find her focus shattered by thoughts of her new family.”
Performances of Grounded will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, with select Saturday matinees. Tickets are $16–40, with $10 student tickets. Pay-what-you-wish night is on September 21 and tickets are $6–20.
NC Stage is located at 15 Stage Lane in downtown Asheville. For tickets, call 828.239.0263 or visit ncstage.org. For more information about ITP, visit immediatetheatre.org.
