JONESBOROUGH REPERTORY THEATRE

 

The recently formed Paradocs Ensemble Theatre presented staged readings of Anne Nelson’s critically-praised 2001 drama The Guys at Jonesborough Repertory Theatre on September 10^th and in Emory & Henry College’s Wiley Auditorium at on September 11^th.

 

Nelson’s play, based on her own experience helping a New York City Fire Captain write eulogies for eight firemen lost in the collapse of the World Trade Center, was originally presented as a script-in-hand staged reading in December 2001 at a theatre just seven blocks from "ground zero." Critics hailed the play as poignant, riveting, and cathartic, with surprising elements of humor and humanity. Since its premiere, the play has been performed in at least 45 states and 10 foreign countries, and was turned into a feature film starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia.

"On one level," says Don LaPlant, one of the actors in the Paradocs production, "the play depicts the conversation between a grieving fireman and the journalist who volunteers to help him write eulogies for his fallen colleagues. On a deeper level, though, it’s about the human need to connect with one another after tragic events, and the value of reaching out to people—even strangers—who need help."

LaPlant, playing Fire Captain Nick Flanagan, will share the stage in this two-character drama, with Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, who plays Joan, a journalism professor who spent much of her career reporting on international conflicts. Joan volunteers to help the Captain put his feelings into words, not only out of a desire to help the families of lost heroes grieve, but also to come to terms with the horrific events of September 11^th and to find personal comfort through giving comfort to others.

"I think that, with time, people tend to forget important events that impacted our history," says Stoytcheva-Horissian. "This play asks us to remember a time when the lives of so many people around the world changed in an instant. It serves as a remembrance and a tribute to the work and sacrifice of brave people who gave their lives to save the lives of others."

As a means of honoring the bravery of firefighters on the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Paradocs Ensemble Theatre will donate collected contributions and a portion of ticket revenue to fire departments in the Jonesborough, TN and Emory, VA areas.

This staged reading was the first in a planned series of performances by the Paradocs Ensemble Theatre. Stoytcheva-Horissian, the Chair of the Theatre Department at Emory & Henry College, has performed professionally in her native Bulgaria and on stages across Europe, Africa, and the United States. LaPlant, also a Theatre professor at Emory & Henry, has worked professionally as an actor, director, and playwright at theatres in New York, Maine, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oregon, and California.

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