American Classic 'The Member of the Wedding' Comes to OLRC Stage

The Old Lyric Repertory Company (OLRC) brings the American classic, “The Member of the Wedding” to stage this summer, opening Thursday, July 5, at the Caine Lyric Theatre (28 W. Center St., Logan) at 7:30 p.m. The Member of the Wedding was written by Carson McCullers and will be directed by Terence Goodman. The OLRC is a production program at Utah State University and the department of theatre.

The Member of the Wedding is about “the coming of age of a young woman [Frankie] in the deep south — with all the social morays that go along with that — who is trying to find out, like most young people, who they are and where they fit in life,” said Goodman.

 

The play’s theme has universal appeal.

 

“We’ve all gone through it ourselves and we’ve gone through it with raising children,” Goodman said. “It’s nostalgic for us.”

 

When 12-year-old Frankie’s older brother gets married, she discovers she wants to belong, said Goodman.

 

“Just as Frankie, we all want to belong” said Goodman. “No one wants to be alone. There is security in being a part of ‘we.’ This is Frankie’s first realization of the need to be part of something. It’s part of human nature.

 

“The growing pains and complex journey of a young girl from the South in a war-weary and racist world, and her relationships therein is both unique and familiar,” said Goodman. “It is the combination of that personal awakening, oddly positioned against the backdrop of racial tension in this particular period [1940s] of Southern bigotry and hatred that gives this play an important social significance and edginess that will keep the audience keenly engaged.”

 

Frankie’s foundation is Berenice, the family’s African American maid.

 

“She is what Frankie bounces off of,” Goodman said. “She keeps us moving. She’s a foil for Frankie. It’s Berenice’s wisdom that keeps Frankie moving forward in a positive sense.”

 

The Member of the Wedding is one of those rare plays that actually says something and gives an acute perspective of where we have been, what we have been and where we have to come to, Goodman said.

 

“Colin Johnson [OLRC artistic director] has stuck his neck out to do this kind of show,” Goodman said. “It’s a rare opportunity to be a voice for people, to say something important. You don’t get this in summer stock. This is the kind of play that needs to be done and needs to be seen.”

 

Johnson said older people will remember The Member of the Wedding and that the play has a more substantial theme than some of the other OLRC plays this season.

 

The play is difficult to cast because of the ages of the characters, Johnson said. He is pleased with the talent of the actors, especially of Equity actor Patrick Sims. “He’s a very exciting actor,” Johnson said.

 

Goodman agrees with the strength of the acting company and the skill of the USU students and the company’s actors from around the country.

 

“You can sit back and watch the show because the acting is so intense and is of such quality,” he said. “You can feel you are in good hands. The relationships in this show are rich.”

 

The Member of the Wedding, written as a novel in 1946 and as a play in 1951, is still being performed because it is an American classic, Goodman said.

 

“It needs to be performed,” he said. “The themes of the 1940s still resonate with the audience. Not only is the audience entertained, but afterward they can sit down and talk about it, and that’s what good theatre is about.”

 

Goodman first saw The Member of the Wedding as a young boy. He was very impressed with the now well known actress Julie Harris who was in the original stage production. Goodman admits at the time he didn’t fully understand the play’s theme. Since that time he has learned the importance of the complex relationships, themes and situations.

 

“I hope the audience can walk away and be entertained by Frankie’s story and perhaps remember a time in life where they were conflicted as Frankie was,” Goodman said. “I hope the audience can see where we’ve been, what we’ve achieved and what we haven’t achieved.”

 

While Frankie does not find closure, she moves from childhood to young womanhood, Goodman said. “It’s just one stage in Frankie’s life that she’s passed through. There is no closure of life.”

 

As such, The Member of the Wedding, is a slice of life, Goodman said.

 

The Member of the Wedding will have evening performances July 5 through 7, 10, 18, 20, 26 and Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee showings are July 7 and Aug. 4, which begin at 2 p.m.

 

Ticket prices for evening performances are $18 adults, $15 seniors and $12 for USU students (with student ID) and children under 18. Matinee ticket prices are $14 adults, $11 seniors and $8 USU students (with student ID) and children under 18.

 

Other main OLRC productions this season include Cash on Delivery, The Spitfire Grill and Picnic. Premium events this year are 10 Perfect and the annual apprentice family show, Shakespeare and Love. The schedule of performances can be found online.

 

The OLRC is supported by grants from Marie Eccles Cain Foundation, George S. and Delores Doré Eccles Foundation, College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, Cache County Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Anne Kennedy Roskelley Memorial Endowment.

 

Utah State University makes the Caine Lyric Theatre available for rental at reasonable cost to Cache Valley community organizations, thanks in part to support from the City of Logan.

 

The OLRC is a partner with Cache Valley businesses, including: Caffé Ibis, Le Nonne Italian Restaurant, Aggie Ice Cream, Utah Public Radio, Cache Radio Group, Thinker Creative and Cache Valley Center of the Arts.

 

For OLRC ticket information, contact Amber LaBau at (435) 752-1500. For general inquiries, contact Jeremy Gordon at (435) 797-1500 or go to the OLRC Web site. The Caine Lyric Theatre’s box office is located at 28 W. Center St. in Logan. The OLRC’s main office is located in the Chase Fine Arts Center room 232 on the USU campus. The mailing address is 4035 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan UT, 84322-4035.

 

 

Writer: Jenifer Jones, Old Lyric Repertory Company, (435) 797-1500