Latimer is a successful heart surgeon. When his much younger girlfriend, Nina, unexpectedly gets pregnant, Latimer must break the news to his grown daughter, who is struggling to start a family of her own. Written by poet, award-winning author, and Forward Theater Writer in Residence Quan Barry, The Mytilenean Debate raises questions about race, legacy, and the issues couples face as they navigate the world, both together and as individuals.
Content Advisory: The Mytilenean Debate deals with issues of fertility, abortion, and a woman’s right to choose.
Overture Center for the Arts
201 State St,
Madison, WI 53703
Sponsored By:
CUNA Mutual Group
MG&E
Monona Bank
Madison 365
About the show
Runtime:
N/A
Performance Dates:
February 24 – March 13, 2022
Age Recommendations:
N/A
Accessibility
We strive to make our performances available to the entire community. This guiding principle captures the theater we aim to be.
We’re proud to be a resident company at Overture Center, which provides practical accessibility for a variety of needs.
ASL Performance: Saturday, March 12th at 2pm
*To purchase tickets for an unobstructed view of the interpreters, please call Overture’s Access Line at 608-258-4452.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Forward Theater Writer in Residence Quan Barry
Born in Saigon and raised on Boston’s northshore, Quan Barry is the Lorraine Hansberry Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she has directed both the MFA Program in Creative Writing and the Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing. Barry is the author of six books of fiction and poetry, including the recent novel We Ride Upon Sticks, which O: Oprah Magazine describes as, “Spellbinding, wickedly fun.” The New York Times described her previous work, She Weeps Each Time You’re Born, as “deeply affecting.” Her third novel, When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East, follows a group of Buddhist monks as they search for a reincarnation in the vast Mongolian landscape; When I’m Gone… will be published in February 2022.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Live Conversation With Quan Barry
Tuesday, February 15th
Madison Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin
7:00pm | Free to public
– Quan Barry discusses her new book, When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East and her upcoming world premiere play. Also featuring a scene reading from The Mytilenean Debate, featuring cast members Olivia Dawson and Gavin Lawrence.
Live Podcast Recording of The Subtext with Brian James Polak
Saturday, March 5th
Playhouse at Overture Center, 201 State St.
4:00pm | Free to public
– Brian James Polak, host of the American Theatre Magazine podcast The Subtext, takes the Playhouse stage in a live recording with Quan Barry for an in-depth conversation about playwriting.
Cast
Olivia Dawson
NinaGavin Lawrence
LatimerSamra Teferra
MaryMarcus Truschinski
CharlesDana Pellebon
Nina UnderstudyRaven Dockery
Mary UnderstudyAndy White
Charles UnderstudyCreative Team
Keith Pitts
Scenic DesignerGreg Hofmann
Lighting DesignerJazmin Aurora Medina
Costume DesignerJoe Cerqua
Sound Designer and ComposerPam Miles
Props DesignerSarah Deming-Henes
Stage ManagerAbbi Hess
ASMKevin Zimmer
Technical DirectorPREVIEWS
A ‘restless writer,’ Quan Barry enters the world of theater
– By Gayle Worland | Wisconsin State Journal
Novelist Quan Barry plunges into playwriting with ‘Mytilenean Debate’
– By Lindsay Christians | The Cap Times
World traveling UW-Madison professor shares a new novel and play
– By Gena Kittner | Wisconsin State Journal
Changing Your Mind: Forward Theater Company’s “The Mytilenean Debate”
– By Mike Fischer | Madison365 (in-depth essay)
REVIEWS
Quan Barry’s ‘The Mytilenean Debate’ shines fresh and complex light on issues of choice, legacy, and human responsibility
– By Rodlyn-mae Banting | Madison365
Forward Theater’s ‘Mytilenean Debate’ seeks meaning in a post-9/11 world
– By Lindsay Christians | The Cap Times
FTC’s World Premiere, “The Mytilenean Debate,” Poses Complex Questions
– By Gwendolyn Rice