The Curious Savage
press release: The Sun Prairie High School drama club presents The Curious Savage at the Sun Prairie Performing Arts Center, Thursday, April 26 - Sunday, April 29, 2018
Tickets, at $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors, are available for online purchase at www.SPPerformingarts.org or by calling 608-834-6848. Tickets can be purchased at the door, for an additional $2 fee.
John Patrick’s warm-hearted comedy The Curious Savage is directed by Marsha Heuer. The cast features Madison Carlson, Mariah Evans, Morgan Gates, Conley Hoffman, Nick Jackson, Jenna Martinez, Jeroen Preder, Rishav Roy, Austin Weber, and Elsa Zank. The Curious Savage is produced by Amy Frank, with set design by Rob Wagner, costumes by Sharon White, props and scenic arts by Lindsey Hoel-Neds, lighting design by Corey Helser. Michael Gray is the technical director, with Emily Dollak, Marie Helser, and Cailan Sederquist as stage managers.
This warm-hearted tale centers on Mrs. Ethel Savage, a slightly eccentric widow. As the recipient of her deceased husband’s estate, she wants to make the best use of it, despite her stepchildren’s selfish attempts to get their hands on it. Mrs. Savage, however, has put her wealth into negotiable bonds in the hopes of establishing a fund to help others realize their hopes and dreams, much to the siblings’ chagrin. They then commit her to a “sanatorium” in the hopes of shocking her to her senses. There she meets a variety of social misfits. These wonderful individuals immediately endear themselves to Mrs. Savage. With the help of her new-found friends, Mrs. Savage leads her stepchildren on a merry chase which eventually brings them to the pits of humiliation and despair.
The Curious Savage debuted on Broadway in 1950 with Lillian Gish playing Ethel Savage. John Patrick, a drifter during much of his teen years, landed a job as a radio announcer for KPO in San Francisco at 19. He wrote more than 1,100 radio plays for the Cecil and Sally Show, which eventually was broadcast by NBC 1929-33. He served as an ambulance driver during World War II and began his career as a playwright following his military service. He won the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1954 for Teahouse of the August Moon.
Ticket and other information about the production is available by calling the Sun Prairie Performing Arts Center at 608-834-6775 or e-mail boxoffice@sunprairieschools.