20TH SEASON OF ACTOR'S THEATRE

'96 arts controversy inspires play

'Southern Rapture' is in lineup with dramas, comedies and zombies

JULIE YORK COPPENS

Theater Writer

Charlotte itself will play a starring role in Actor's Theatre of Charlotte's 20th anniversary season -- and it might not be a flattering performance.

"Southern Rapture," playwright Eric Coble's tongue-in-cheek take on the city's ugliest arts controversy, is slated to premiere in April 2009 at the small professional theater on Stonewall Street.

Inspired by events surrounding a 1996 production of "Angels in America" by the defunct Charlotte Repertory Theatre, "Southern Rapture" represents a rare attempt by Actor's Theatre, or indeed any local company, to foster a new work from page to stage.

The rest of the 2008-09 season, just announced, features established titles by much-heralded authors. And a zombie musical. The lineup:

• The Lieutenant of Inishmore, by Martin McDonagh, Sept. 24-Oct. 11. McDonagh, who wrote last fall's ATC hit "The Pillowman," spins another riotous tale centered on a ruthless Irish National Liberation Army enforcer and his beloved black cat.

• Rabbit Hole, by David Lindsay-Abaire, Nov. 12-29. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, the play, from the author of "Fuddy Meers," examines a young couple's struggle to cope after the loss of a child.

• Blue, by Charles Randolph Wright, Feb. 18-March 7, 2009. Set in fictitious Kent, S.C., "Blue" chronicles an African American family and their booming funeral home business.

• Southern Rapture, April 15-May 2, 2009. Eric Coble, a Cleveland-based playwright of national stature, is known to ATC audiences for the outrageous satires "Bright Ideas" and "Natural Selection." He visited Charlotte in November to interview the real-life players in the "Angels" drama.

• Evil Dead: The Musical, by George Reinblatt, Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond and Melissa Morris. Sam Raimi's cult classic films come to life in this campy show about five college students who break into an abandoned cabin in the woods.

Special events in addition to the mainstage season:

• Bat Boy: The Musical, Jan. 8-24, 2009. Actor's Theatre will reprise this oddly endearing and tuneful tale, with several original cast members returning, to mark the five-year anniversary of the Stonewall Street space's opening.

• Theatre650, ATC's studio season, will feature the wholesome musical "SLUT!," Aug. 7-23, and "Seven Santas," a late-night holiday comedy, Dec. 5-20.

Actor's Theatre of Charlotte

Founded: April 1989, by Dan Shoemaker and several other actors.

Mission: To produce bold, new works by contemporary playwrights.

First production: "Holy Ghosts," by Romulus Linney, performed using live snakes.

1990s: Notable productions at Spirit Square included "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Independence," and after a two-year hiatus, "Marvin's Room," "Keely and Du," and "Equus," among others.

2000s: Hits included "Anton in Show Business," "The Laramie Project," "Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Crowns," "I Am My Own Wife," and "The Great American Trailer Park Musical." In January 2004, Actor's Theatre moved into its current home, a former music store at 650 E. Stonewall St.

Get tickets: Early-bird season subscriptions cost $90 for five shows. Details: www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org, or call 704-342-2251.