Hey! 2011-2012 Season Info On The Way!

Please do stick around -- we should have information on the GroundWorks 2011-2012 Season up in the next day! Two more world premiere original works, served up at the historic Darkhorse Theater! Stay tuned!

Rachel and Fay discuss "The Fall to Earth"

Opening May 6: "The Fall to Earth"

"Comedy equals tragedy plus time." Mom Fay (Wesley Paine) and daughter Rachel (Megan Murphy Chambers) are brought together for the first time in years to attend to tragic family business, and together with a well-meaning police officer (Heather Webber), must work through their own circumstances as well. "The Fall to Earth" premiered at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre. Directed by A. Sean O'Connell.

GroundWorks Theatre presents "The Fall to Earth" from May 6-14 at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue. Performances Thursday through Saturday nights at 7:30pm, Sunday matinee at 2:30pm. For reservations or further information, call 262-5485, or click here for online ticket sales.

"The Very Different Christmas Dinner" - Staged Reading

GroundWorks Theatre will be presenting its latest original, Robert A. O'Connell's "The Very Different Christmas Dinner," as a staged reading. The reading will be at the Darkhorse Theater, Saturday December 18, at 2:30pm. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted at the door for Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

After praying that their dinner guests could be someone more interesting than their usual friends, Robb and Laura Dish open their doors instead to Abe Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Oscar Wilde, Marilyn Monroe, Janis Joplin, and Jesus. Performers include: Jonathan Stephens, Myra Stephens, Charles Howard, Trish Crist, Michael Roark, Megan Murphy Chambers, Jack E. Chambers, and Donna Stephens. There will be a talkback after the reading, including cast and author.

Next Up: "The Conscientious Objector" by Michael Murphy!

In early 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. informed his advisors that he intended to play a major role in the anti-war movement, advocating immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Vietnam. No major figure of Dr. King's stature had yet been willing to take such a dramatic stand, even those thought to oppose the war, such as Senators Kennedy and McGovern. King knew he would be turning past allies like President Johnson into powerful enemies and reviving the animus of old enemies as well. King's inner circle feared he would trigger a political backlash that could undo the progress made in civil rights. The Conscientious Objector draws upon the historical record, including the FBI's relentless surveillance, often illegal, and the White House's infamous secret telephone recordings.

GroundWorks Theatre is proud to present this co-production with the Destiny Theatre Experience. Shawn Whitsell of DTE directs a veteran ensemble cast at the historic Darkhorse Theater. The production runs from April 30 - May 8, with 7:30pm performances every night but Sunday and Monday. There will be a 2:30 matinee on Sunday, May 4. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. All ticket for Tuesday night's show are $10. Tickets and information available at www.groundworkstheatre.com, or call 615.262.5485 for reservations.

Next Up: "Fat Pig" by Neil LaBute!

A biting black comedy about figuring out exactly what we want... and exactly who we are...

"Stunningly real... courageous... revelatory... unsettling and laser-sharp..."

--Jeffrey Ellis, BroadwayWorld.com

BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT

Next Up: "Christmas on the Pecos" by Robert A. O'Connell!

Tuesdays/Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays 7:30pm - Sundays 2:30pm

$15 Adults - $12 Students/Seniors - $10 Tuesdays

Check out the Tennessean Preview!

Next Up: "Eat The Runt" by Avery Crozier!

"Fully engaging... a riot" -- Nashville Scene

"Consistently superb" -- BroadwayWorld.com

"O Jerusalem" by A. R. Gurney: May 15-30 2009

GroundWorks Theatre proudly announces the Nashville premiere of A. R. Gurney's thought-provoking "O Jerusalem," which opens May 15 2009 at the Darkhorse Theater.

"Assured... intelligent... The focused ensemble confidently hits its marks."

-Martin Brady, Nashville Scene

Set in 2001, the play centers around Hartwell, an oil company executive, appointed to a diplomatic post in the Middle East. Amira is a Christian Palestinian woman with whom he had an affair years before. Sally, a friend of Hartwell's, is a fellow bureacrat attempting to help him navigate the treacherous waters of his new post. Hartwell reunites with his former lover, discovers she has a son in Hamas, and agrees to help put forth a peace proposal of their creation. And, looming over the proceedings, is the rumor of a planned terrorist attack on U.S. soil...

Veteran director Melissa Bedinger Hade leads a seasoned cast of Darkhorse favorites. Jim Wright stars as Hartwell, Caroline Davis (GWT's "Bad Dates") is Sally, and Terry Ochiogrosso is Amira. Pat Rulon and Dan Millard round out the cast as swings, and function as a kind of Greek chorus.

GroundWorks Theatre presents "O Jerusalem" at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, from May 15-30 2009. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm. Call 615-262-5485 for reservations, or purchase tickets online HERE.

Next Up: "O Jerusalem" by A. R. Gurney!

"Marry Me a Little" by Stephen Sondheim: March 10-21 2009

GroundWorks Theatre announces its first musical production, the Nashville premiere of Stephen Sondheim's "Marry Me a Little." A joint production with the Boiler Room Theatre, "Marry Me a Little" is a collection of Sondheim originals which shapes the story of a young man and young woman who are neighbors and possibly soulmates, but who have never met.

Craig Lucas and Norman Rene', who wrote and directed "Reckless" and "Prelude to a Kiss," respectively, created "Marry Me a Little" using songs that Stephen Sondheim had written for other shows. Through the 18 songs, we see an evening in the lives of the two lonely singles, as they reveal their work, lives, dreams, and heartaches, all while oblivious to the proximity of the other. The songs were originally created for some of Sondheim's most famous works, including "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "Company," "Follies," and "A Little Night Music." Several were cut on the road, several were re-written and appeared in other forms. Lucas, himself a multiple Tony- and Drama Desk Award nominee, conceived the format for the show while working with Sondheim as a chorus member in the original Broadway production of "Sweeney Todd."

Mike Baum and Megan Murphy will play the two tenants. They are longtime favorites of the Boiler Room Theatre, having appeared in the last year in "Plaid Tidings / Nuncrackers," "Damn Yankees," and "Assassins." Megan Murphy directed the GroundWorks premiere of "The Pillowman," and has appeared onstage in GWT's "Tape," "Blackbird," and "Enchanted April."

Darkhorse veterans Brian T. Hill and Jack E. Chambers take directing duties. Brian is the Executive Director of ACT 1, and has over 20 years of music directing experience in Nashville, including work with ACT 1, Circle Players, and Actors' Playhouse. Most recently, he directed the ACT 1 production of "Miss Gulch Returns." Jack just completed a revival production of Lee Blessing's "Chesapeake" for GroundWorks, and has also appeared in the GWT productions of "Tape," "Blackbird," "Closer," and "The Pillowman."

This production is the 2nd joint production between GroundWorks Theatre and the Boiler Room Theatre, and will play for one week in each venue -- March 10-15 at the Boiler Room in the Factory at Franklin, and March 17-21 at the Darkhorse Theater.

IMPORTANT: Ticket prices and show times vary by venue!

Boiler Room Theatre: March 10-15 (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8pm; Sunday 2pm). All tickets $15. For tickets, visit www.boilerroomtheatre.com or call 615.794.7744.

Darkhorse Theater: March 17-21 (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7:30pm). All tickets $15, except for Tuesday $10. For tickets, visit www.groundworkstheatre.com or call 615.262.5485.

Marry Me a Little: The Basics!

Full details are forthcoming, but here's the basics for the GWT/BRT joint production of Stephen Sondheim's "Marry Me a Little." The show will run March 10-15 at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin, then March 17-21 at the Darkhorse Theater in Nashville. Show times and ticket prices will vary by venue, and tickets MUST be purchased through the appropriate venue. Mike Baum and Megan Murphy star in this Nashville premiere!

Chesapeake Revival Presentation at the BRT!

GroundWorks will reprise its lauded production of Lee Blessing's "Chesapeake" at the Boiler Room Theatre in Franklin from January 23-25!

Director Robert A. O'Connell and actor Jack E. Chambers will once again bring Blessing's one-man show to life, this time in the wonderful Boiler Room Theatre, in the historic Factory in Franklin. Tickets are now available for Friday and Saturday, January 23 and 24, at 8pm; there is also a Sunday matinee on January 25 at 2pm. More details are forthcoming, but in the meantime, you can find information about the original production here. For reservations, either visit the BRT site, or call 615-794-7744.

IMPORTANT: Tickets to this production are only available through the Boiler Room!

Program Outside (PDF)
Program Inside (PDF)

"The Road To Bethlehem" by Robert A. O'Connell: December 12-21 2008

"Deftly uses humor to deliver its ultimately sincere message. Entertaining, endearing, and funny."
-- Martin Brady, Nashville Scene

Behold! A Christmas comedy!

GroundWorks Theatre presents its latest World Premiere: "The Road To Bethlehem," an original Christmas comedy written and directed by company co-founder Robert A. O'Connell. "The Road to Bethlehem" tells the story of two simple shepherds following an unlikely path to witness a miracle, meeting along the way a well-meaning but bumbling angel, a conscientious Roman Centurion, a young couple on the verge of delivering a very special baby, local revolutionaries, an overworked innkeeper, and a certain little drummer boy.

GroundWorks Theatre presents "The Road to Bethlehem" at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, from December 12-21 2008. Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. SPECIAL: All tickets on Tuesday nights are $10! Call 615-262-5485 for reservations, or purchase tickets online HERE.

Check out the Tennessean preview here!

Check out the CityPaper preview here!

Check out the Nashville Scene review here!




Square Poster

Vertical Poster

"Chesapeake" by Lee Blessing: October 3-18 2008

"Chambers narrates the story with wit and sincerity... He's animated and active all over the stage."
-- Martin Brady, Nashville Scene

"The best show of any kind that I have ever seen."
-- Melinda Doolittle, American Idol finalist

Art. Politics. Dogs.

Lee Blessing spins a magical-realist fable about a New York performance artist, a firebrand Conservative Southern politician, and the dog that unites their fates forever. Directed by Robert A. O'Connell, starring Jack E. Chambers. Contains some adult language and content.

GroundWorks Theatre's production of Lee Blessing's "Chesapeake" runs from October 3-18 2008 at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue. Performances Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors. All tickets Tuesday nights - $10.

For reservations, call 615.262.5485. Or, purchase tickets online here.


Nashville CityPaper Preview!

Tennessean Preview!

Program (PDF)

GroundWorks Theatre Announces 2008-2009 Season

GroundWorks Theatre proudly announces their 2008-2009 season, including a one-man show, original Christmas story, the company's first musical, and an incisive look at the Middle East. Since 2004, GWT has presented a slate comprised exclusively of Nashville premieres at the Darkhorse Theater, including four world-premiere productions.

The new season opens October 3 with Lee Blessing's one-man-show "Chesapeake," directed by company co-founder Robert A. O'Connell and starring Jack E. Chambers.

"Basically, we'd like to be able to say three words and leave it at that. Art. Politics. Dogs. Anyone who finds each word intriguing on its own and the three irresistible together should be transported by the shaggy Blessing story." (Newsday)

The company continues its run of original holiday entertainment with the premiere production of O'Connell's own "The Road To Bethlehem" (which he will also direct), a light-hearted yet tender look at some lesser-known characters from the story of the original Christmas -- two shepherds, a drunk, another newborn child, a Roman Centurion, an inkeeper, and a certain little drummer boy.

March 2009 brings GroundWorks' first-ever musical offering, Stephen Sondheim's "Marry Me A Little," a collection of outtakes and lesser-known songs from the acknowledged master of the modern American musical theatre. The songs were collected and assembled by Craig Lucas (who also wrote "Prelude to a Kiss") and Norman Rene, and tell the story of a young man and woman living in the same apartment building, each unaware of the other, whose lives are more interconnected than they could know. Jack E. Chambers will direct the production, with Brian T. Hill providing the musical direction.

The season closes in May with A. R. Gurney's "O Jerusalem," a seriocomic take on diplomatic and interpersonal relationships in the modern-day Middle East, centered around a novice diplomat who falls in love with a woman whose son is a member of Hamas. The New York Times called it "deeply touching in [its] urgency." Melissa Bedinger Hade will direct the production.

GroundWorks also announces the addition of online ticket sales (through a partnership with BrownPaperTickets.com), and the introduction of season tickets in the form of 4-ticket FlexPasses, which will be available at the Box Office and through www.groundworkstheatre.com.



Contact Information

Robert A. O'Connell -- Co-Founder, Artistic Director -- home 615-262-1832
Jack E. Chambers -- Marketing Director -- home 615-300-5560

Wait For It... Wait For It...

The 2008-2009 GroundWorks Theatre Season has been set, and the announcement will be coming soon, including audition and production dates and the addition of online ticket orders and credit card payments. Yay!

Check back starting August 1 for all the details!

"Sunday on the Rocks" by Theresa Rebeck: May 2-10 2008

On a beautiful Sunday morning in mid-October, three housemates decide to have scotch for breakfast in this play by the author of "Spike Heels," "The Family of Mann," "Loose Knit," and "Bad Dates" (produced by GroundWorks Theatre in May 2007). Elly is pregnant and considering an abortion, Jen is being harassed by a co-worker who is obsessed with her, and Gayle just feels a bit lost. Their problems are compounded by a fourth roommate, Jessica, a religious young woman who has little compassion for their confused attempts to make sense of life in the 90s. As they drink, joke, and argue, it becomes clear how difficult it is to make a moral decision in an increasingly complex world.

Directed by Melissa Bedinger Hade (GroundWorks Theatre's "Enchanted April" and "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge," ACT1 / Actors Bridge's "Who Loves Judas").

"It's rare to encounter a domestic comedy that speaks to an entire generation, but 'Sunday on the Rocks' hits a raw nerve for today's generation of Angry Young Women." --Boston Globe.

"Sunday on the Rocks" runs May 2 - 10 at the Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue. Performances are Wednesdays through Saturday at 7:30pm, with a Sunday matinee (May 4) at 2:30pm. Reservations can be made by calling 262-5485; further information (including a map to the theatre and the full schedule) can be found at www.groundworkstheatre.com.

Auditions: "Sunday on the Rocks" by Theresa Rebeck - March 1 2008

GroundWorks Theatre announces auditions for Theresa Rebeck's "Sunday on the Rocks," to be directed by Melissa Bedinger Hade. Auditions will be held on March 1, 2008, from 1:00-5:00pm, at the Darkhorse Theater. The play will run May 2-10, also at the Darkhorse.

Description: On a beautiful Sunday morning in mid-October, three housemates decide to have scotch for breakfast in this play by the author of "Spike Heels," "The Family of Mann,""Loose Knit," and "Bad Dates" (produced by GroundWorks Theatre in May 2007). Elly is pregnant and considering an abortion, Jen is being harassed by a co-worker who is obsessed with her, and Gayle just feels a bit lost. Their problems are compounded by a fourth roommate, Jessica, a religious young woman who has little compassion for their confused attempts to make sense of life in the 90s. As they drink, joke, and argue, it becomes clear how difficult it is to make a moral decision in an increasingly complex world.

"It's rare to encounter a domestic comedy that speaks to an entire generation, but 'Sunday on the Rocks' hits a raw nerve for today's generation of Angry Young Women." --Boston Globe.

Roles are available for four women, aged late 20s - late 30s. Appointments are not necessary, and auditions will be by cold readings from the script.

For more information, visit www.groundworkstheatre.com.

"The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh: February 8-16 2008

"McDonagh's bleak, tightly-written script gets its due in a successfully disconcerting mounting."

--Martin Brady, The Nashville Scene

“A writer in a totalitarian state is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories and their similarities to a number of child-murders that are happening in his town…”

Thus does writer Katurian Katurian describe his own precarious situation in Martin McDonagh’s brilliant, award-winning “The Pillowman.” The show premiered at London’s Royal National Theatre, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Play, before transferring to Broadway. That production, featuring Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum, won the Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play (Foreign), 2 Tony Awards, 2 Drama Desk Awards, and an Outer Critics Circle Award. Ben Brantley in The New York Times called it a “spellbinding stunner … [the] season's most exciting and original new play.”

The story opens with Katurian’s interrogation at the hands of investigators Tupolski and Ariel. The two carry out an often-funny, often-brutal variation on the “good cop, bad cop” routine, attempting to force Katurian into admitting some connection to a series of child murders which have striking similarities to his dark, Grimm-inspired stories. The stakes are raised even higher by the revelations that one child is still unaccounted for… and that the investigators have Katurian’s child-like brother Michal in a holding cell, ready to torture him for further information…

Nate Eppler leads the cast as Katurian. A playwright recently commissioned by the Kennedy Center and White House Historical Association, Nate has performed in the Karl May Festival in Elspe, Germany, and locally in “Sorry, Wrong Chimney” at Chaffin’s Barn. GroundWorks veteran Jack E. Chambers (Tupolski), appeared most recently in the BoilerRoom Theatre original “Billy Bob’s Holiday Hoedown,” and has appeared in many GWT productions, including “Closer,” “Enchanted April,” and “Blackbird.” J. Dietz Osborne (Ariel) has worked on the road with Martina McBride’s Joy of Christmas tour and in “Singing In The Rain” (Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock), and at the BoilerRoom Theatre (“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Gypsy”). Alex Vernon (Michal) appeared in Lamplighters’ “Guys and Dolls,” as well as in “The Country Wife” and “Hay Fever” at MTSU.

Director Megan Murphy is herself a veteran of several GroundWorks productions, appearing in “Tape,” “Blackbird,” and “Enchanted April,” and co-producing “Closer.” “The show is relevant and yet abstract, and a true page-turner, in the classic sense,” says Murphy. “It’s the truest examination of how we defend what we value and what the responsibility of an artist is.”

GroundWorks Theatre presents Martin McDonagh’s “The Pillowman” at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Avenue. Performances are February 8-10 and 11-16 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $15, $12 for students and seniors. For reservations, contact the GroundWorks information line at 615.262.5485; for further information, check out www.groundworkstheatre.com.