GVT (Greenbrier Valley Theatre) kicks off the 48th Season with the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder. The American classic runs Apr. 11, 16-18, and 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the show, GVT will host a sale of work by the Greenbrier Artists, on Saturday, Apr. 11.
From the author of Our Town comes a hilarious farce, The Skin of Our Teeth – the story of the Antrobus family and how they survive, time and time again. They may seem like an ordinary family, but George and Maggie Antrobus have been married for centuries and have survived more than a few catastrophes. Along with their children and their maid, they can make it through everything, even if it’s just by the skin of their teeth.
Wilder explores the endurance of the human spirit through this family as they narrowly escape an ice age, a flood and a war. Wilder’s play breaks conventional theatrical stereotypes and uses satire, burlesque and farce to counteract the drama of the impending catastrophes. Whether at home in New Jersey, with their children and pets – a dinosaur and a mammoth – or exploring the Atlantic City boardwalk in the face of an impending flood, the Antrobuses take what life throws at them and keep pushing onward.
Audiences will be on their toes not only in anticipation of the next big disaster, but also because the characters often break the fourth wall to give “personal” commentary to what’s happening on stage.
“The audience gets to play more than passive observer – the breaking of the fourth wall really invites audience members to feel a part of the story. As an actor, getting to directly engage with the audience makes the play even more exciting for me since reactions vary so widely from performance to performance – it really keeps us on our toes,” Kim Morgan Dean said. Dean portrays the brash maid Sabina.
For tickets or more information, call the GVT Box Office at 304-645-3838.
