The Margo Jones Series presents “Picnic,” by American playwright William Inge, from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2.
Actor and director Henry Woronicz guest-directs this Pulitzer prize-winning drama that brings small-town life in the 1950s to the big stage and explores the loneliness that underlies the American Dream.
Woronicz, a native of Massachusetts, came to SMU after playing several roles in the recent Broadway production of “Julius Caesar,” starring Denzel Washington.
Some of his numerous television appearances include roles on “Law and Order,” “Ally McBeal,” “Seinfeld” and “Cheers.” He has also worked in regional theaters and acting companies in several cities across the nation and still does freelance work.
Woronicz was recruited by Meadows as a guest artist to direct a play for the Margo Jones Series.
“‘Picnic’ is a classic American play,” Woronicz said. “We’re dealing a lot with the rise of the American middle class and the frustrations and dramatic stories contained within.”
The play chronicles the sudden arrival of a handsome drifter, Hal, into the lives of two lonely women in a small Kansas town. Madge Owens is a beautiful teenager who is tired of being nothing more than a pretty face. She gladly sacrifices her chances of a well-to-do life for the exhilaration of a man who sees beyond her stunning exterior.
Everyone is affected by Hal. Millie, Madge’s sister, finds balance from the fleeting attention of the stranger, and the lonely older women get a break from their mundane lives.
Madge is played by Kate Costello, a third-year graduate student. She began her acting studies at the University of New Mexico, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and then came to Meadows for the renowned three-year acting program. The 24-year-old gushed about working with Woronicz.
“He is incredibly smart and incredibly personable. Henry allows you to fail and to work from there and try again. It’s just a great experience working with him,” she said.
Chris Domig, a 24-year-old third-year graduate student, plays Hal. He grew up in Austria but came to the United States to attend college. He has had leading roles in six major productions with SMU. Domig is very happy with the cast.
“It’s great because I’m with five of my colleagues. The work takes on a different nature being that we’ve got a body of work and know each other,” he said.
“Picnic” is one of four plays by Inge that involves the trials and tribulations of living in small town America. The other three, “Come Back Little Sheba” (1950), “Bus Stop” (1955) and “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” (1957), along with “Picnic” (1952), brought him much praise and success as a playwright and all were produced on Broadway. “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,” an almost autobiographical account of his life, is commonly considered his finest play.
Inge won an Academy Award in 1961 for his screenplay “Splendor in the Grass,” which would be his last critically acclaimed work.
“Picnic” will be presented “in-the-round” in the Margo Jones Theater. Jones, aka the “Texas Tornado,” was a champion of regional theater and produced Inge’s first play, “Farther Off from Heaven,” in Dallas in 1947.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for senior citizens and $6 for students. For more information contact the Meadows Ticket Office in the Owen Fine Arts Building at (214) 768-2787 or [email protected].
