"Orpheus Descending"

THE SCENES

The entire action of the play takes place in a gen eral drygoods store in a small Southern town, during a rainy season, late winter and early spring, in the 1950's.

ORPHEUS DESCENDING is produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., 440 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10016.

PRODUCTION STAFF FOR

"Orpheus Descending"

Stage Manager................................................................................................... .....................................JIMMY BEVILL*
Assistant Stage Manager.................................................................................................................CHRISTOPHER HEIT

House Manager.......................................................................................................................................JIMMY LEDUC*

Master Electrician................................................................................................................ .................ANDREW LIBBY*
Assistant...........................................................................................................................................RICHARD HARPER

Wardrobe...................................................................................................................JIMMY LEDUC*, MATT HENRY
Assistants..............................................................................................MARTHA BARRON BISHOP*, REEMA RAFII*

Propert ies.........................................................................................................................................CAROLYN CLARK*
Assistants......................................................ANDREW LIBBY*, BOYD CAMPBELL, MARTHA BARRON BISHOP*
........................................................................................................ALLANA AUSTIN, CHRISTOPHER MORRISON*

Makeup and Hair..................................................................... ...................................RICK SENN*, ANDREW LIBBY*

Sound............................................................................................................................................CHRISTOPHER HEIT

Publicity...................................................................................................................MARLO WHITE, ANDREW LIBBY*

Scenery Construction..........................ALLANA AUSTIN, JIMMY BEVILL*, JIMMY LEDUC*, CHRIS MORRISON*, MARTHA BARRO N BISHOP*, BOYD CAMPBELL, CAROLYN CLARK*, ANDREW LIBBY*,
CHRISTOPHER HEIT, PAUL HOUGH, MATT HENRY, VERONICA DAVIS

THE MILLSAPS PLAYERS wishes to say a special "THANK YOU" to

*Member of Alpha Psi Omega, National Honorary Dramatics Fraternity

THE CAST

DOLLY HAMMA............................................................................................................................VERONICA DAVIS

A sophomore theatre major from Mobile; member of the PURPLE AND WHITE staff and the STYLUS staff; with The Players as Christine Schoenwalder in PICNIC.

BEULAH BINNINGS.......................................................................................................................SHANA FONDREN

A freshman psychology major from Bellefontaine; on the Dean's List of Honor Students; on the PURPLE AND WHITE staff and on the STYLUS staff; with The Players as Mariana in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

PEE WEE BINNINGS.............................................. ........................................................................GEORGE MORRIS

A freshman from Birmingham; member of Pi Kappa Alpha; member of the Campus Ministry Team; with The Players in THE PETRIFIED FOREST and ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

DOG HAMMA..............................................................................................................................................LEE SMITH

A sopho more English major from Jackson; with The Players as Tim Fiddler in THE NEW YORK IDEA, as Jason in THE PETRIFIED FOREST, the First Soldier in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

CAROL CUTRERE...........................................................................................................................CHRISTINE SWAN A sophomore theatre major from Mons, Belgium; member of Delta Delta Delta; member of Circle K; with The Players as Cynth ia in THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND and as Gabby Maple in THE PETRIFIED FOREST.

EVA TEMPLE.....................................................................................................................................ALLANA AUSTIN

A freshman majoring in theatre and education from Tupelo; member of Phi Mu; appeared with The Players as Benson in THE NEW YORK IDEA.

SISTER TEMPLE.......... .......................................................................................................................ELISE HARRELL

A freshman English major from Magnolia; member of Phi Mu; member of the PURPLE AND WHITE staff and the English Club.

UNCLE PLEASANT.............................................................................................................................MARLO WHITE

A sophomore fro m Morton; on the Dean's List of Honor Students, member of the Singers, the PURPLE AND WHITE staff, Phi Eta Sigma, the All College Council, Minority Affairs Committee; National Youth Spokesperson for the AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION; with The Players as Ruby in THE PETRIFIED FOREST and as a French Lord in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

VAL XAVIER................................................................................................................... .............................T.J. QUINN

A freshman majoring in English and business from Gulfport; appeared with The Players as Jackie in THE PETRIFIED FOREST.

VEE TALBOTT..................................................................................................................MELANIE BEDENBAUGH

A freshman psychology major from Hattiesburg; member of Delta Delta Delta; in high school appeared in INTO THE WOODS, THE MUSIC MAN, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN, CRIMES OF THE HEART, CITY OF ANGELS.

LADY TORRANCE.................................................................................................................WENDY HENDERSON*

A junior theatre major from Washington, Oklahoma; member of Phi Mu; member of the Campus Ministry Team; with The Players as Julia Farnsworth in HEAVEN CAN WAIT, as Kitty Dean in THE ROY AL FAMILY, Felicity Cunningham in THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, Mrs. Chisholm in THE PETRIFIED FOREST.

JABE TORRANCE............................................................................................................................BOYD CAMPBELL

A Millsaps graduate from Jackson, currently studying English and theatre.

SHERIFF TALBOTT................................................... .................................................................JOHN M. SULLIVAN

A graduate student in liberal studies from Jackson; member of Pi Kappa Alpha.

THE WOMAN..............................................................................................................................SHELLEY RATCLIFF

A freshman from Laurel; member of Kappa Delta; with The Players as Diana Capilet in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

DAVID CUTRERE..............................................................................................................................JAMES HOWELL

A senior business major from Mobile; member of Pi Kappa Alpha; member of the Millsaps soccer team; member of the Interfraternity Council; with The Players as the First Lineman in THE PETRIFIED FOREST.

NURSE PORTER................. .................................................................................................................CARRIE RUSSO

A freshman from Bay St. Louis; on the Dean's List of Honor Students.

FIRST MAN............................................................................................................................................PAUL HOUGH*

A junior psychology major from Mobile; member of Lambda Chi A lpha; with The Players as the Telephone Repairman in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, the Drunk in THE INFERNAL MACHINE, as Duke Mantee in THE PETRIFIED FOREST, as the First Lord Dumain in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

SECOND MAN.............................................................................................................................ANDREW PHILLIPS

A freshman theatre major at Holmes Community College from Jackson; with The Playe rs as the Second Lord Dumain in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PLAY

BATTLE OF ANGELS, the first major play by Tennessee Williams, was disastrously performed in Boston and never reached Broadway. However, more than fifteen years later, Mr. Williams rewrote it for a Broadway production. During its pre-Broadway tour, it was for a time called SOMETHING WILD IN THE COUNTRY, but it opened on Broadway as ORPHEUS DESCENDING. Starring Maureen Stapleton, Cliff Robertson, and Lois Smith, the play only enjoyed mild success after its opening in 1957. Three years later Diane Ladd, a native of Lumberton, Mississippi, and a niece of Mr. Williams, revived the play Off-Broadway. This time it was a tremendous success. Marlo Brando, Anna Magnani, and Joanne Woodward starred in the film version, which was called THE FUGITIVE KIND. The recent London and New York revival of the play starred Vanes sa Redgrave and Kevin Anderson.

Brooks Atkinson in the N.Y. TIMES said that ORPHEUS DESCENDING is the story of "a woman storekeeper and a handsome guileless youth who comes in off the highway. A guitar player, he is a rural Orpheus who descends to rescue his love-not in Hades, precisely, but amid the intrigue, gossip and violence of a hot-tempered town." He commented that Mr. Williams had written ORPHEUS "in his best style of mood, lyricism and tenderness."

Writing in THEATRE ARTS (Septemb er, 1958), Richard Watts, Jr., described the play as "a fine and darkly beautiful drama" and called Mr. Williams "our foremost living dramatist." He said that "Not since Eugene O'Neill have we possessed a playwright of Williams' power and tragic insight. Although I don't think he has the monumental stature of O'Neill in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO THE NIGHT,...he is superior in one important way. He writes with a gift for sheer lyric beauty of which O'Neill, whose words tended to be earth-bound while hi s dramatic conceptions soared, was incapable." Mr. Watts concluded his article by saying "Tennessee Williams is a dramatic poet of lost souls, and a stunning writer for the theatre. And the word 'stunning' is used most literally, because the impact of his plays can overwhelm an audience with its sheer force. It is impossible, I think, justifiability to call them decadent; for all their concerns with ailing spirits, their sheer vitality is too tremendous. ORPHEUS DESCENDING is not quite the masterp iece STREETCAR is. It lacks some of the rueful grace of the GLASS MENAGERIE and the total impact of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF or GARDEN DISTRICT. But it is a deeply moving work of art."

ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

Unlike most of the great Greek heroes who were noted for their warlike exploits, Orpheus was famed for his amazing musical talent. He played the lyre and sang with such fantastic artistry that the wild beasts and the trees would follow him. He sailed with Jason on the Argos, and his incredible musical ability saved the lives of the Argonauts on several occasions.

Orpheus married the nymph Eurydice. One day as she was running through the woods, Eurydice was bitten by a poisonous snake and died. Orpheus was griefstricken over the death of his wife, whom he loved passionately, and determined to descend into the Underworld to get her back. The infernal gods were so enchanted by his music that they allowed him to lead his wife out, on the condition that he precede her and that he not look back at her. They were approaching the outer gates of the Underworld, when Orpheus, impatient to see his beloved wife, turned to look at her. Eurydice immediately vanished into the houses of the dead once more, this time for eternity.

Orpheus was inconsolable over the death of his wife and vowed never to love another woman. Infuriated by the vow of Orpheus, the wild Thracian women in an orgiastic frenzy tore him to pieces and ate his flesh.

Plays under consideration for
the 71st season of

THE MILLSAPS PLAYERS

ANASTASIA
by Marcelle Maurette

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
by J.B. Priestley

BILLY BUDD
by Coxe and Chapman

EQUUS
by Peter Shaffer

RICHARD THE SECOND
by William Shakespeare

SMALL WAR ON MURRAY HILL
by Rober t E. Sherwood

AN IDEAL HUSBAND
by Oscar Wilde

AS YOU LIKE IT
by William Shakespeare

THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE
by Bernard Shaw

LAURA
by Caspary and Sklar

SABRINA FAIR
by Samuel Taylor

TIME REMEMBERED
by Jean Anouilh

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The 44th Annual

MILLSAP PLAYERS AWARDS DINNER

Tuesday, April 26, 1994

at 7:30 p.m.

House of Wong, Old Square Road

Reservations: The Players Office, 974-1320

$10.00 per person

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