Lynn Nottage's "Fabulation" Comes to Bloomington

New Route Theatre continues its "One Shot Deal" series on July 13 with "Fabulation; or, The Re-Education of Undine," a play about an ambitious African-American woman who learns quite a bit about herself when her lofty social status crumbles, written by MacArthur Genuis Award recipient Lynn Nottage.

Nottage is perhaps best known for "Ruined," the 2009 play that won her the Pulitzer Prize, but "Fabulation" earned good notices and an Obie Award for its Off-Broadway production at Playwrights Horizon in 2004. This is a rare chance to catch Nottage's work in central Illinois. I saw her "Intimate Apparel" in a wonderful production at the University of Illinois a few years ago, but I have yet to see "Ruined" or "Fabulation," which includes "punchy social insights and the firecracker snap of unexpected humor," according to Ben Brantley of the New York Times.

For New Route, Jamelle Robinson will play the lead role of Undine Barnes Calles (born Sharona Watkins), under the direction of Gregory D. Hicks. As New Route Artistic Director Don Shandrow describes the play, "Fabulation is a riches-to-rags comedy that follows the apparent decline of Undine from her high-profile job back to the projects where she grew up. Although she loses her status, wealth, and pride, she gains wisdom and self-knowledge that would have eluded her in her prior existence. Facing the people from her past, she must come to accept them and herself as she learns that one can never truly outrun the past."

This "Fabulation" features a cast of 12 actors in multiple roles, including Wilma Brown, Anne Cook, Corey Hardin, Sean Hastings, Charlene Ifenso-Okpala, Ariele Jones, Quinton Neal, Claron Sharrieff, Miles Span, Justin Thompson and Ryan Tipton. Jennifer Rusk acts as stage manager, while Excedus Marshall has designed the lighting.

As always, this "One Shot Deal" will be presented at the Eaton Gallery in downtown Bloomington.

FABULATION:, OR, THE RE-EDUCATION OF UNDINE
Herb Eaton Studio and Gallery
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
7 pm
$5 recommended donation

Please note that seating is limited at the Eaton Gallery, and you should reserve a seat by sending an e-mail to new.route.theatre@gmail.com (including the number of people planning to attend).