Outdoor Staged Reading: The Fourth Wall

Friday May 14th at 4pm, in the backyard: Wellfleet Preservation Hall presents a staged reading of A.R. Gurney’s  “The Fourth Wall.”

This is a free event with advance registration required. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating.

Directed by John Shuman, who previously directed  “The Open House” by Will Eno and Gurney’s “The Love Course” for the Hall. All local cast!
About the playwright:

A. R. Gurney was a prolific and popular playwright whose plays include “Sylvia”, “The Dining Room” and “Love Letters.” He often explored dramatic techniques that produced innovative  forms  to tell his story . In many of his  plays the audience has a role in the proceedings. Their presence is a part of the play. This meta-style led to Gurney ultimately tackling this form head-on as he does in “ The Fourth Wall.”

The fourth wall is a theatrical convention for the space between the audience and the actors on stage.  The actors can not see through nor are aware of the wall — the audience can.  In this hilarious and moving play four characters attempt to “get through” the wall and fathom why they are there behind it.  The dilemma compares to what all humans do in attempting to comprehend their lives.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Wellfleet Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a stage agency.