NCHT: Desire Under the Elms

How far would you go to find love, belonging, and meaning in a dry land?

Eugene O’Neill’s classic tragedy, “Desire Under the Elms,” explores the lives of three desperate members of a New England farming family who clash in a triangle of love and desire.

The North Carolina History Theater will bring this powerful drama to the stage on July 11-13 and 18-20 at Orringer Auditorium, 800 College Court, New Bern. Performances are at 7 p.m. with Sunday 2 p.m. matinees.

Director Bill Hand promises a unique production. “It’s a show that will sister music, visual and stage arts together,” he said, “with one scene featuring masked characters and e ects. Some scenes will spill into the auditorium itself. A famous painting will also form part of the background of the stage.

“We’ll be weaving music throughout, performed by New Bern’s Music Man, Howard Matthews,” he said.

“O’Neill wrote this in the 1920s and it is one of his most-recognized plays,” Hand said. “It involves a broken family of sons and their harsh, demanding elderly father who comes home with young bride. The youngest son, Eben, has bribed his brothers to sign over their rights to the farm to pursue California gold and now prepares to defend his rights to inherit the farm—a farm on which he believes his father worked his mother to death, and stole from her family. He quickly comes to realize that Abbie, his new stepmother, plans to claim the farm for her own. Against this conflict comes their growing desire for one another.

“For its mature themes, we’re declaring this production to be PG,” he added. The play stars Benny Thompson, Melanie Corbett, and Cruz, and features the talents of Rodger Allison and John Rock, and Matthews.

Tickets will go on sale in May through the Bank of the Arts and the NCHT website, www.nchistorytheater.org.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Information: Contact Bill Hand at newbernhistory@yahoo.com or Roxann Wheeler at camsmom71@gmail.com