Office of Communications

Contact: Amy Houle

Communications Specialist

Office: (817) 531-7521

ahoule@txwes.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THEATRE WESLEYAN TO PREMIERE NEW WORK

An Invitation to the Discovery and Final Disposition of the Various Papers and Effects of the Notable Citizen Poor Richard, Otherwise know as the Honorable Benjamin Franklin, Printer, a stylized production of the many writings of one of the world’s most noted Americans, will premiere at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, directed by Jeanne Everton, associate professor of theatre at Texas Wesleyan.

Everton, who also took on the roles of editor, arranger, and writer of additional material notes, “The material presented in this show may be a bit familiar but also very new, and people will be exposed to a side of Franklin we rarely get to see. Benjamin Franklin was a very honorable man, but he loved scandal, and delighted in other people’s scandal and then wrote about it. This is what we see every day on the television.” And there is no doubt that today’s audiences will enjoy Franklin’s thoughts on gold-digging women, relationships, politics, and the science of farting.

The cast includes senior Erica Heebner, juniors Alaina Appleby and Ben Phillips, sophomore Dillon Maroney, freshmen Chase Burnett, Chris Hatcher, Jennye James, Ashley Moseley, and Cari Watson, and graduate student Jonathan Phillips.

The student designers helping to bring this to the stage include junior theatre majors Max Marquez (lighting designer) and A’nie Kirchner (properties designer), senior theatre major Eric Briggs (sound designer), and freshman theatre major Jennye James (graphic designer). Faculty designers include Bryan Stevenson (technical director and set designer) and Brynn Bristol (costume designer). Sophomore Whitney Park serves as Stage Manager.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22-24 and March 1-3, and at 2 p.m. March 4 in the Thad Smotherman Theatre on the Texas Wesleyan campus. Ticket prices are $2 for students, $4 for Wesleyan faculty and staff, and $6 general admission. The box office will open Tuesday, Feb. 20. Tickets can be reserved by calling (817) 531-4211 or email bhargrove@txwes.edu. For more information about the production, contact Beth Hargrove, assistant production manager, at (817) 531-5867 or bhargrove@txwes.edu.