The Gilbert Theater presents On the Verge — a tale of exploration of time, place and space — starting March 19 and running through April 5.
  The play is written by Eric Overmyer, directed and designed by Paul Wilson; Elysa Lenczyk is in charge of stage management.
  “The basic plot features three Victorian era ladies who set out to explore terra incognita,” said Wilson. “This word is Latin and means unknown land.”
Wilson added that they are not really exploring space: they are exploring the future, circa the 1950s.         
  {mosimage}The cast includes Caroline DePew, Sharyn Beal, Sandra Epperson and Paul Woolverton. DePew plays Alex, who is the youngest of the group. She experiences momentary flashes of insight from the future and loves to play with language. In the ‘50s she becomes a rock ‘n’ roll songwriter and dabbles in writing Burma-Shave jingles.
Woolverton plays Alphonse, Grover, the Gorge Troll, the Yeti, Gus, Madame Nhu, Mr. Coffee and Nicky Paradise — these are the human landmarks the women run into on their journey to the future. Beal plays Fanny, who is the middle member of the team. She is the most conservative and middle-class but, like Alex, she also blossoms in the ‘50s. The path that she chooses is more of a Father Knows Best kind of existence.
  Epperson plays Mary, who is the oldest of the three women. She is the most adventurous and the only one who does not choose to remain frozen in the popular culture of the ‘50s. 
  The Gilbert, founded in 1994 by Lynn Pryer, is a community theater located in the heart of historic downtown Fayetteville. Its mission is to give local artists, actors and musicians a place and an opportunity to showcase their talents. The theater has produced more than 80 contemporary and classical theatrical productions. Some of their diverse projects and productions entail the creation of a standing company of Commedia dell’Arte (a form of improvisational theater started in 15th-century Italy) actors, a children’s puppet show, a special performance for a blind audience, staged readings, workshops on theater production, a statewide playwriting competition, recognition of new writers and the production of plays. The theater has incorporated a student review night that consists of high school students meeting the director and the cast. A concerted effort is made to involve students on and off the stage. Accolades include Best Performance/Play in Up & Coming Weekly’s 2008 Best of Fayetteville issue , as well as being featured in Our State Magazine in February, 2007 and featured in the PBS show North Carolina Weekend.          
  The ticket cost for On the Verge is $10. Reservations are highly recommended. For more information call 678-7186.

Contact Shanessa Fenner at editor@upandcomingweekly.com