Local playwright’s work kicks off second PBTS season

Local playwright, Olivia Gowan, will share her new work (The Memories of Ruby Mae) that will appear on The Studio Stage as a reader’s theatre presentation at Players by the Sea on Monday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 1 at 8 pm.

“We’re excited this work is the inaugural play of the Second Season”, said Suzanne Hudson-Smith, Players’ Executive Director. “Great plays should be seen often and our audiences need to experience more opportunities than we can offer in our regular season of eight productions. Second Season was created to expand our theatre presentations of plays – it’s just the love of the play and passion of the creative team that makes it happen.”

Playwright Gowan and Gloria Ware, the director, have chosen to present this play as reader’s theatre.  “The actors don’t memorize their lines, they just use vocal expression to guide the audience into understanding the story,” said Ware.  This presentation is about the content of the play.

Gloria Ware, PBTS board member 2017-2019, is still very active and supportive of Players.  She’s often been seen on stage and this time, she brings a new piece of literature to the stage, The Memories of Ruby Mae.  Ware fell in love with this story while it was being created and is thrilled to be able to tell this story written by Olivia Gowan.

Ware believes “sharing these stories is so important – Players by the Sea gets that and has opened their space to welcome new work … and to welcome a diverse cast that includes actors, directors and some who haven’t ever performed at the theatre.”

The talented cast includes: (Narrator) Ashley Colleen Jones, (Ruby Mae) Karen Garrett, (Becky Lynn) Karen Konzen, (Mandy Sue) Kristin Walsh, (Tracy) Susan Roche, (Miriam) Gayle Featheringill, (Sarah Neil) Kayla Chouarnid, (Mrs. Smith) Peggy McGuinness, (Ellis / Ryan) Will Davis, (Nancy Collins) Rhodie Jackson & (Camile) Farah Nesargi.

The Memories of Ruby Mae is a wickedly funny and heartfelt play that guides us through generational hurts to an unexpected healing. It is a poignant, sweet, story of a woman with whom we can all relate.  She is strong, kind, curious, honest and speaks her mind.  As she leaves this world and begins to cross over, she experiences several memories of those who have already passed on and others who are still influential in her life.

“It [the play] takes on the process of death in a graceful way, where you will be laughing and crying.  Then suddenly in the most profound and subtle way, you will be hopeful that our lives have purpose and destiny,” playwright Gowan said about her work.

Gowan is a playwright from Macon Georgia, who currently resides in Jacksonville, FL.  In January 2016 she produced her second full length, Cotton Alley at Players by the Sea, which pinned her as a southern, gothic writer compared to a female Tennessee Williams.  She is the founder of The Groundling Scribes, a group that supports playwrights and original works.

“The Memories of Ruby Mae”
Dates: Mon., Sept. 30, 2019
    Tues., Oct. 1
Times: 8 p.m. in the Studio Theatre

Tickets: Donations will be taken at the door
Reservations: website or by calling the Box Office

LOCATION: Players By The Sea Theatre
      106 6th Street North
      Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
      (904) 249-0289

About Players By The Sea — For over fifty-three years, Players by the Sea has brought quality creative and classic theatre to the Jacksonville community.  As the Beaches community Theatre, Players is professionally run, but depends on the talents and creative energy of volunteers to perform on stage, backstage and front of house.