Baylor Theatre Ends Season with Three Plays in One

April 26, 2016
Story of a marriage

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Contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321
WACO, Texas (April 25, 2016) – Baylor Theatre is finishing its 2015-2106 season strong with "Story of a Marriage," a compilation of three plays by Horton Foote: "Courtship," "On Valentine's Day" and "1918."
These three plays form the middle of Foote's nine-play piece, "The Orphan's Home Cycle," which details the true story of his orphaned father's search for belonging and his parent's married years in Texas during the early 20th century.
The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, to Friday, April 29, as well as 5 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, in the Mabee Theatre of Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center.
"My interest in Horton Foote goes way back, very many years," said Marion Castleberry, Ph.D., professor of theatre arts and director of the play. "He was my dissertation topic for my doctorate from LSU. We had met on the set of 'The Trip to Bountiful,' and I was fortunate to get to know him. Nobody else had written about him at the time, so it was very open research. He became a dear friend and mentor to me."
Castleberry is considered a leading authority on the life and works of Horton Foote. He is the founding president of the Horton Foote Society and co-founder of the Horton Foote American Playwrights Festival.
He recently published a comprehensive biography of Horton Foote titled "Blessed Assurance: The Life and Art of Horton Foote" and is editor of the book "Horton Foote: Genesis of an American Playwright." He also has co-edited "Remembering Horton Foote" and "Horton Foote: Voice of an American Playwright."
Castleberry also directed the Ensemble Studio Theatre's production of Horton Foote's "The Traveling Lady," which was nominated for a 2006 Drama Desk Award for Best Revival of a Play.
Castleberry said his students have put a great deal of work into making this series of plays the best it can be.
"Unless you've worked on a play, you can't understand how difficult it is and how much hard work it takes. Four and a half weeks, every night, for three to four hours," he said. "I think they're doing a really great job and I'm really proud of their work. It's what they've trained to do, what they want to do and what is expected of them. It's not an easy profession, but it's an honorable one."
Anyone interested in experiencing the full nine-play cycle may attend readings from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 30, in an event titled "Come Home to Horton." The staged readings are free and open to the public.
Tickets are $20 for the public and $17 for students with a Baylor ID. A group discount is available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased online at baylor.edu/theatre or over the phone at 254-710-1865.
The Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center is located at 60 Baylor Ave., Waco, Texas.
by Jenna Press, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.