– New World Performance Lab opens its 25^th season in Northeast Ohio with a new performance, “Don’t You Weep: The Story of a Passionate Woman.” Long time NWPL company member Debora Totti has devised this solo performance about a woman’s intimate journey through betrayal and heartbreak in collaboration with local actor/director Terence Cranendonk.  “Don’t You Weep” premieres on Friday, September 15 and performs September 16, 22, 23, 29, and 30 at 8pm and September 17 and 24 at 2pm at The Balch Street Theatre, 220 South Balch Street, Akron, OH 44302. There is a special Monday night performance on September 25 at 8pm. Tickets are $12 general admission. Reservations can be made online at http://weep.brownpapertickets.com  or by calling 330-867-3299. Seating is limited.

Drawing on ancient, medieval, and contemporary material, Italian-born performer Debora Totti constructs a heartfelt portrait of a woman in struggle with her past and her place in the world. A refugee storyteller with a mysterious past arrives in a strange place and proceeds to tell a tale which may or may not be her own. The subject of her story is the notorious and revered life of Mary Magdalene, the woman who knew the all. Through singing, dancing, remembering, and questioning, both the storyteller and her story’s heroine attempt to understand the past, in order to commit to the present, and unravel the future.

“Don’t You Weep” arose from improvisations based on personal memories and associations from Totti’s own life.  During weeks of rehearsal, she shaped this material into a story about love, loss, and betrayal. Totti encounters the figure and legend of Mary Magdalene, and through music, action, and text asks questions about both the sacred and profane in her own life. Totti’s personal journey was developed in collaboration with actor/director Terence Cranendonk, who provides ukulele accompaniment to the performance.

About NWPL

New World Performance Laboratory is an internationally acclaimed ensemble of theatre artists that has been active in Northeastern Ohio since 1992. Since taking up residence at The Balch Street Theatre in 2011, NWPL has produced a number of exceptional productions including “Virginia Woolf’s ORLANDO,” “Gilgamesh: He Who Saw Everything,” and, most recently, “The Devil’s Milk Trilogy,” a winner of the Akron Knight Arts Challenge. NWPL has also hosted various theatre companies such as Studium Teatralne from Poland, TAPIT Theatre Ensemble from Madison, WI, and Ma’Sue Productions. NWPL spearheads numerous community projects, training sessions, educational programs, and performances throughout the region, nationally, and internationally. NWPL is supported in part by the City of Akron, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Akron Community Foundation, The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, GAR Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Contacts

CATAC/NWPL:  James Slowiak, nwplab@gmail.com, 330-867-3299

Website:  www.nwplab.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwplab

Performance Dates of “Don’t You Weep”:

September 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 29, 30 at 8pm

September 17, 24 at 2pm

Admission: $12

Balch Street Theatre, 220 South Balch Street, Akron, OH 44302