Theater Spotlight of the Week: Pam Myers-Morgan

by Shawn Parikh

New interview with the Co-Director of The Nibroc Trilogy presented by Echo Theatre.

As you may recall, the DFW theatre scene is filled with some ballsy productions, and Echo Theatre is definitely proving this week that they are keeping that up. The theater company is not just opening one show, but three plays simultaneously over the next couple of weeks as part of the regional premiere of The Nibroc Trilogy. And with such a task at hand, the trilogy actually has two directors, Pam Myers-Morgan and Ellen Locy. I got a chance to chat with one of the directors to talk about this courageous production.

I begin by asking how this came to be part of Echo's season and what made them decide to do the entire trilogy. She discusses the obstacles in performing the full trilogy and on the necessity of having two directors. She also elaborates on the casting of the two leads and the organization of the rehearsal process.

Since it is set in the 1940s and 50s, she also talks about how the show will relate to an audience today and the many parallels to our current political climate. She also answers on what she wants the audience to walk away thinking about.

Because Echo's mission is to present works by female playwrights, I ask if these 3 plays have anything to comment on women and women's issues. She clarifies Echo's mission and how the production comments on both gender roles.

The three-play cycle follows May and Raleigh from their first meeting in the 1940s, through the second World War and into the Eisenhower era. It will be presented in repertory from February 5-28 where a different play in the cycle premieres each Thursday evening. All three plays will be presented the same day on two Saturdays, February 21st and 28th. Click here for a complete trilogy schedule.

For the first three Wednesdays (Feb. 4, 11, 18), each show in the trilogy will preview for a pay-what-you-can price. Festival passes are $40 and single performance tickets are $15. Purchase tickets online or by e-mailing echoreservations@att.net.

The shows in the trilogy are:

• Last Train to Nibroc: a two character play set in the early 1940s. We follow May Gill and Raleigh Brummett from their first meeting on a train bound for Kentucky through their budding romance.
• See Rock City: picks up a year later and introduces us to May's and Raleigh's mothers. With America’s involvement in the war as a backdrop, May and Raleigh learn about marriage, societal roles and sacrifice.
• Gulf View Drive: set in Florida in 1952 where May and Raleigh are living a post-war dream of career success and home ownership. Tensions rise as Raleigh’s mother and pregnant sister arrive, joining May’s mother in an open-ended visit with the young couple.