By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – “The Curious Savage” by John Patrick open this Friday, Feb. 10, at ACTA Theatre in Trussville. This heart-warming drama, directed by Angie McGowan, is set in the 1950s, taking place in the living room of a Massachusetts sanatorium called The Cloisters.
“The Curious Savage is a really, really sweet play, but you wouldn’t think so from reading a synopsis,” said ACTA trustee Paige Turner Cain, who plays the role of Mrs. Ethel Savage. “It’s about an older lady whose husband died and left her $10 million. She has three stepchildren that were his children, and they are spoiled-rotten grownups.”
When Mrs. Savage, the main protagonist, starts spending her inheritance to help people make their dreams come true – even silly, foolish dreams – her stepchildren put her in The Cloisters sanatorium to get back at her.
“They put her in a ward with these five adults who are just delightful,” Cain said. “They’re beautiful people, but they each have a flaw. Through the story, Mrs. Savage relates to each of them in a different way. She just pours into them and believes in them. It’s really tender, the relationships she develops.”
“The Curious Savage” will be showing for two weekends, giving theater-goers six opportunities to see the show. Performance dates are Feb. 10, 11, 17 and 18, at 7 p.m., with two Sunday matinee performances on Feb. 12 and 19, at 2:30 p.m.
Regular adult tickets are $15, Senior Citizen (60+) tickets are $12, and Student tickets are $10. Tickets are still available and can be purchased in advance at www.actatheater.com. Concessions will also be available at the theater for $1 each.
“It’s a great story and it’s worth coming to see,” Cain said. “It’s just really sweet and it’s got a great message. It’s also got some really good comedy in it. It will be an enjoyable couple of hours and a good escape.”
Cast of “The Curious Savage,” written by John Patrick and presented by ACTA Theatre. L-R back row: Chris Bever, Julia Williams, John Michael Boswell, Suellen Wilkins, Lynne Long, Summer Martin, Kerry Burrell. L-R front row: Erica Egan, Paige Turner Cain, Gia Warren, Matt McGough.
Between the two weekend performances, ACTA Theatre will also be holding auditions for its next play, “Over the River and Through the Woods,” written by Joe DiPietro and directed by Shari Ohm. Auditions will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, and Tuesday, Feb. 14.
ACTA Theatre is a not-for-profit organization, incorporated in 1986 and providing the Trussville community with three to five performances each year for 37 years. Additionally, ACTA Jr. presents approximately two plays per year, not including their summer camp program. This year, ACTA has also added youth acting classes for second through 10th graders.
“A big thing that we are really trying to do is to fulfill a community-wide plan for the arts,” Cain said. “We’re a small theater. We only have 89 seats, but we are now trying to run it at full capacity.”
For more information about ACTA, including ticket sales and upcoming opportunities, visit www.actatheater.com.
