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Capote’s dry humor, a beloved spinster, whisky-soaked fruitcake, kooky Southern relatives and a tipsy rat terrier highlight this comedy, according to a release from the Theatre Artists Workshop.
Adapted by Russell Vandenbrouke, the two one-acts that comprise “Holiday Memories” bring to the stage two of Capote’s most beloved stories, “A Thanksgiving Visitor” and “A Christmas Memory,” which vividly detail the author’s recollections of being a small boy sent to live with Alabama relatives during the 1930s Depression, the release said.
Longtime Workshop member, Jo Anne Parady of Southport, creates the pivotal role of Capote’s elderly spinster cousin, the reclusive Miss Souk, whose cherished relationship with young Truman lies at the heart of the tale.
Using the theatrical conceit and inherent dramatic tension of a middle-aged narrator sharing the stage with his younger self, “Holiday Memories” features Katie Sparer of Stratford as 7-year-old Truman and Mark Basile of Weston, as the older Truman, the release said. Basile and Sparer also direct the evening.
Melody James of Westport and Granville Burgess of Greenwich play a wide range of Capote’s colorful, funny and sometimes terrifying characters, including the Rev. J.C. Lucy, “HaHa”Jones, the girl bully, and the “meanest human creature,” Odd Henderson.
Admission is free to the classic night concert reading, but a $15 donation is suggested at the door to support the workshop.
No reservations are required for concert readings. Doors open 30 minutes prior to curtain, and there is ample free parking.
Performances on Dec. 2 and 3 begin at 8 p.m., and at 3 p.m. Dec. 4. Early arrival is recommended. For more information, call 203-854-6830.
The Theatre Artists Workshop, a nonprofit organization of professional actors, writers and directors, was founded in 1983 by stage and screen star Keir Dullea.
Find out more about the workshop, its players and history, and its periodic public performances at www.taworkshop.org.
The Theatre Artists Workshop is in the Old Well Masonic Lodge at 5 Gregory Blvd., East Norwalk.
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