Winner of the New Play Festival "You Are Here" Opens Thursday!
by Paul Hyde
As the festival’s winner, “You Are Here” will receive a full Centre Stage production, opening today and running through Jan. 21.
The play centers on a mentally disabled father, Roger (John Fagan), and his son, Guy (Hunter Spangler), who longs to go to college. Roger, particularly because of his disability, fears change and doesn’t want Guy to leave home.
Guy’s mother died in childbirth, so father and son are particularly close.
“Roger has raised his son on his own with considerable assistance from Guy’s grandmother,” says Brian Haimbach, director of the New Play Festival who is also staging the play.
“You Are Here” was among four finalists of the 200 submitted in the New Play Festival. The finalists, chosen by a committee, each received a public reading at Centre Stage last fall.
Based partly on audience response during its reading, “You Are Here” was selected to receive a full staging.
“This is a story that the audience really identified with,” Haimbach says. “Many people can understand what it’s like to have a family member go off to college. Change is scary for everyone. That’s what makes this heartwarming play all the more poignant.”
“I feel very blessed to have been chosen from such a strong field of plays,” Totland says. “It’s quite clear Centre Stage is doing remarkable work in Greenville, building an artistic relationship that brings real value to the community.”
Totland is a founding member of Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre, where he worked on more than 30 productions during the company’s first 15 years.
His plays have been produced by numerous companies, including Steppenwolf Theatre, Lifeline Theatre and the Festival of New American Plays in London.
He currently teaches theater at The Buckley School in Los Angeles.
Arts writer Paul Hyde can be reached at 864-298-4004.
Origianl article can be found here:
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20120111/ENT/301110057/Winner-Ne...
