Theatre NOVA, an Ann Arbor nonprofit company that focuses exclusively on new and recent plays, recently announced it plans to present the world premiere of “Clutter” by Brian Cox.
Cox is a newspaper editor in Detroit and the founder and artistic director of Pencilpoint Theatreworks in Ypsilanti. His one-act play “Stuck” was produced by Oakland Community College in April 2015. NYCPlaywrights selected his monologue “Sabotage” as its “Play of the Month” for June 2013. His one-act play “The Voices in Marty’s Head Meet the Voices in Mary’s and Fall in Love” was produced by TLC Productions in January 2014. He conceptualized, directed and wrote monologues for “Suspicions: An Investigation of Monologues” produced by From Around Here Productions in May 2014. He conceptualized, co-directed and co-wrote “7 Deadly Scenes” produced by From Around Here Productions in April 2015.
How do you tell the story of your life? And what if the characters in the story tell it differently than you remember? In this funny and stylized play about sex and marriage, a man sits at a desk, sorting through the clutter of his life – a book, a flashlight, a wedding ring. Sifting through the relics of his failed marriage, he attempts to piece together some understanding of where things went wrong, with the help of two actors who play younger versions of himself and his wife. As he relives and reenacts each moment, from hilarious to heart-wrenching, he must ultimately take stock of his life and his marriage, and decide whether the story to tell is a tragedy or a triumph.
The pay features Phil Powers, Tory Matsos, Artun Kircali and is directed by Diane Hill.
“Clutter” will run March 24 through April 16, 2017 at Theatre NOVA (410 W. Huron, Ann Arbor), a downtown performance space. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Sunday matinees start at 2:00 p.m. Theatre NOVA features free parking for patrons.
Tickets are $20, and Theatre NOVA continues its commitment to make theatre accessible by offering pay-what-you-can tickets for those who need them. Visit TheatreNOVA.org or call 734-635-8450 to purchase tickets, or buy them in person at the box office, which opens one hour before show time.
Theatre NOVA is Ann Arbor’s resident professional theater company. Its mission is to raise awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and playwrights and provide resources for playwrights to develop their craft by importing, exporting, and developing new work.
The play’s director, Diane Hill, founded Two Muses Theatre, a nonprofit, professional theatre in West Bloomfield, where she served as Artistic/Executive Director for the last five years. There she performed in and directed many plays and musicals each year and did the work of technical director, publicist, sound designer, webmaster, and graphic designer for every production. Hill was also a faculty member at University of Detroit Mercy and Oakland Community College, where she originated and designed the Theatre degree program. She earned a Ph.D. in Theatre from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Theatre from the University of Michigan. Hill previously taught high school drama and music in the public school system (Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor) for 20 years.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
CLUTTER
Mar. 24 – Apr. 16, 2017
Thurs., Mar. 23, 8:00p.m. Preview
Fri., Mar. 24, 8:00p.m. Opening Night
Sat., Mar. 25, 8:00p.m.
Sun., Mar. 26, 2:00p.m.
Thurs., Mar. 30, 8:00p.m.
Fri., Mar. 31, 8:00p.m.
Sat., Apr. 1, 8:00p.m.
Sun., Apr. 2, 2:00p.m.
Thurs., Apr. 6, 8:00p.m.
Fri., Apr. 7, 8:00p.m.
Sat., Apr. 8, 8:00p.m.
Sun., Apr. 9, 2:00p.m.
Thurs., Apr. 13, 8:00p.m.
Fri., Apr. 14, 8:00p.m.
Sat., Apr. 15, 8:00p.m.
Sun., Apr. 16, 2:00p.m.