Walt Whitman gets the Flying Anvil treatment when the West Knox theatre presents Lauren Gunderson’s “I and You,” opening Friday, March 5, for a three-week run.
Here’s what director Jayne Morgan says:
The beloved play is a quirky comedy with a devastating twist at the end that will leave audiences gasping.
One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline’s door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass,” an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn’t been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together. “I and You” is an ode to youth, life, love and the strange beauty of human connectedness.
Lauren Gunderson is known as “America’s most-produced playwright.” In “I and You,” she combines moments of goofiness with unexpected drama, plus John Coltrane, Jerry Lee Lewis and a shocker ending.
Morgan says she instantly fell in love with the show. “I didn’t know much about Gunderson before I read the script, but I was struck by how she combines really epic themes with this intimate love story. It was funny, heart-warming, a little odd, and then the ending blew me away. This is a show that will stay with you for a long, long time.”
Starring in the Flying Anvil Theatre production are Emily Cullum, last seen in Flying Anvil’s “The Love Talker” and LoRen Seagrave, an Austin-East high school student making his professional debut.
Ticket prices will be $24 for shows on Thursday and Sunday, $26 for Friday and Saturday. Student tickets will remain $10. Thursday, March 5, is a pay-what-you-can preview. The Opening Night Gala is Friday, March 6, and includes an after-party with the cast.
Tickets are available here or by calling 865-357-1309.