West Knoxville’s Flying Anvil Theatre is nothing if not ambitious.
The next performance, starting Friday, June 28, is “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker. This play has been an audience favorite since its debut off-Broadway in 2009. It won the 2010 Obie Award for Best New American Play.
Directed at Flying Anvil by Jayne Morgan, the play follows four New Englanders who enroll in a six-week acting class. When they begin to experiment with harmless games, hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny wars of epic proportions are waged and won, according to the play’s promotion: “A beautifully crafted play that depicts the unpredictable nature of the human heart.”
Morgan says part of the fun of the show is experiencing what happens in a real acting class. “The games and exercises are familiar to actors, but audiences will get a peek ‘behind the scenes.’ It’s both entertaining and moving to see the characters learn how to be vulnerable with each other.” The cast includes Margy Ragsdale, Abby Reber, Callie Bacon, Greg Congleton and Josh Brandon.
Flying Anvil is offering a “pay what you can” preview on Thursday, June 27. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Ticket info here.