Playhouse on the Square will Open its Main Stage Season with a Timely Play About A Nation Divided

July 29, 2021 - MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Playhouse on the Square, in partnership with Playhouse season sponsor Dorothy O. Kirsch and super sponsor Dr. Thomas Ratliff, will open its main stage with a play written by the Tony Award-winning playwright of Dear Evan Hansen fame, DAYS OF RAGE by Steven Levenson August 20 - September 19, 2021 Playhouse on the Square 66 South Cooper Street Memphis, TN 38104 Tickets are available now at www.playhouseonthesquare.org or by calling the box office, (901) 726-4656.

It's October 1969 and five 20-something idealists find themselves in the middle of a country divided. Living together in a house in Upstate New York and confident in the knowledge that they are the only generation to ever take up the resistance, they retaliate against society by denouncing monogamy and other capitalist notions. But when they admit a mysterious newcomer to their collective, the delicate balance they've achieved begins to topple. It'll be six and a half years until the Vietnam War ends but their fight is just beginning. Multiple Ostrander Award winner, Courtney Oliver (1984, Hairspray), directs an all-star cast in this poignant play that, although set in the late 1960s, gives an eerie commentary to this nation’s current socio-political climate.

Playhouse on the Square Resident Company members Brooke Papritz (The Taming, Book of Will) and Nathan McHenry (Murder for Two, Memphis) play the roles of protesters Quinn and Spence. Memphis theatre favorite Caroline Simpson (When We Get Good Again, Peter Pan) plays the role of Peggy. Haley Wilson (The Taming, Kinky Boots) returns to the Playhouse on the Square stage as Jenny. Making his Playhouse on the Square stage debut as Hal is Darious Robertson (Sweat, Junk).

Oliver’s approach to the production of Days of Rage is to focus on the characters searching to find common ground through different perspectives in the midst of chaos. The goal is to bring the audience into the lives of these young revolutionaries who are disavowed with the status quo and are searching to make change rather than wait for it. They must decide if what they are looking for is worth the price it pays.

The complete cast and crew for Days of Rage is as follows:

Cast Hal - Darious Robertson Spence - Nathan McHenry Jenny - Haley Wilson Quinn - Brooke Papritz Peggy - Caroline Simpson Crew Director - Courtney Oliver Stage Manager - Morgan Corlew-Strauss Sound Designer - Jason Eschhofen Lighting Designer - Justin Gibson Costume Designer - Lindsay Schmeling Scenic Designer - Lex van Blommestein Dramaturg - Bailee Michaels

Performances will run Thursday through Saturday with an 8:00 pm curtain. Sunday Matinees have a 2:00 pm curtain.

For tickets, call the Box Office at (901) 726-4656 or visit our website www.playhouseonthesquare.org. Follow with social media using #Riseup901. Group rates available. Special ticket pricing for opening weekend $27. Pay What You Can performance is August 26th. For questions and booking, please contact Playhouse on the Square Director of Community Relations, Marcus Cox (901) 937-6496