ETC’s “Keely & Du” tackles polarizing issue
All props to Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga for producing a play that, in its New York debut 20 years ago, was the most talked–about and controversial show in town.
“Keely & Du” concerns a pregnant rape victim, Keely, who wakes up tied to a bed in a basement. She sees Du, an older woman who is part of a right-to-life group taking extreme measures to prevent Keely from having an abortion. Clearly, this is not the show for people who want to walk out humming a happy tune. But art is not all happy tunes. Sometimes it’s angry—and thought-provoking.
“The first time I read “Keely and Du”, it made me incredibly angry,” says director Casey Keelen. “The more I thought about it, though, I started to realize that it isn’t just a play about abortion or right-to-life activists. It looks at the people dealing with the issue, as opposed to just looking at the issue itself. We would rather put the actual people aside and deal with an idea than look deeper. It is easier to disagree with an idea than it is to put yourself into someone’s shoes.”
— Janis Hashe
“Keely & Du”
Aug. 14-24
Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga
5600 Brainerd Rd.
(inside Eastgate Town Center)
(423) 602-8640, ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com