StageWorks Staged Reading of
“Terra Nova” by Ted Tally
Directed by Judy Spigle
Place: Acting Ensemble on the Avenue, 602 E Mishawaka Ave, Mishawaka IN 46545
This is one performance only – a staged reading, Scripts are carried, no memorization. There will be no props, no blocking, no stage lighting, and minimal sound.
Performance: Tuesday evening, Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm
In the winter of 1911-1912, five Englishmen and five Norwegians raced each other to the bottom of the earth. Only the five Norwegians returned.
This is the story of the Englishmen.
Drawn from the journals and letters found on the frozen body of Captain Scott, the action of the play blends scenes of the explorer and his men at various stages of their ordeal, with flashbacks of Scott and his young wife and with fateful glimpses of his Norwegian rival, Roald Amundsen, whose party beat him to the South Pole. The play is a study of British pride and upper-class resolve—Scott’s aristocratic sense of destiny and command and his young bride’s ability to understand her husband’s compulsive drive while failing to accept his motivations.
Dealing with the ill-fated Antarctic expedition of Robert Falcon Scott, this extraordinarily inventive play employs an ingenious free-form construction to capture the sweep—and personalities—crucial to this compelling study of heroism in the face of bitter failure.
“…an impressive first work…” —The Hollywood Reporter.
“…explores the heart of courage in a white hell of adversity.” —Time Magazine.
“Mr. Tally is a most literate writer.” —The New York Times.
Ted Tally is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Tally’s plays include “Hooters”, “Little Footsteps”, “Silver Livings”, and “Terra Nova”, which received an Obie Award. In 1991, he won an Academy Award for his adaptation of “The Silence of the Lambs.” Tally continues to write screenplays and movies.
