Vernal & Sere Theatre’s world premiere of The Glass Essay takes the stage at Windmill Arts Center this September. Inspired by the lyric essay of the same name by Anne Carson, the highly personal production is written and directed by Sawyer Estes.
“Ten years ago, my sister went through a devastating divorce — her first in a long line of divorces in our family,” Estes told ArtsATL. “When I heard the news, I sent her a scanned copy of this poem by Anne Carson, ‘The Glass Essay,’ thinking it might do her some good. I was right; it offered for her a kind of refuge — a resting place. Over the past six months, our company has been re-imagining this text for the theater without changing a word, hoping it might again offer restoration and guidance to ourselves and our audience.”
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Actor’s Express’ 36th season will run from winter 2024 until fall 2024 and include the world premiere of the play A Third Way by Atlanta playwright Lee Osorio and a production of Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky, directed by Associate Artistic Director Amanda Washington.
“Blues for an Alabama Sky holds a special place in my heart,” Washington told ArtsATL. “It was one of the first plays I directed in graduate school. In a way, it feels like I am coming home. The words of the play ring true to this day and are a constant reminder to myself and anyone who witnesses this story that life holds an abundance of possibilities.”
“One of my favorite things this season is how three of the playwrights have deep Atlanta roots and connections,” Artistic Director Freddie Ashley told ArtsATL. “Steve Yockey grew up here and cut his teeth artistically at Actor’s Express and around the Atlanta theater community. Pearl Cleage has been one of the great artistic voices of our community for some time now. Lee Osorio has made his mark as one of Atlanta’s greatest actors and now brings a fresh point of view to our playwriting community.”
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Midtown’s Center for Puppetry Arts will stage Aanika’s Elephants, an original work produced by a cohort of Sesame Street writers, designers
and performers, August 17 through September 3.
Creatives behind the new production include Emmy award-winning writer Annie Evans; director Pam Arciero; production designer Martin P. “Marty” Robinson — who portrayed Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster and various other characters — and Emmy award-winning composer Paul Rudolph.
“We are beyond thrilled to partner with this extraordinary group of artists to bring Aanika’s Elephants to the Center,” said Executive Director Beth Schiavo in a press release. “Beyond the benefit of presenting new voices and interpretations of puppetry to Atlanta, there is the added excitement of welcoming back some of the Center’s most treasured alumni who have found success as part of the beloved Sesame Street.”
