Obvious Dad will shake up the local entertainment scene this summer with their third season of defiant, visually-engaging live theatre.
Producing two shows that have never been seen in Chattanooga, they plan to provide an outlet for those seeking an unconventional and exciting artistic experience.
The company will kick off their summer season in June with MJ Kaufman’s “Sagittarius Ponderosa,” a charming story that finds Archer at the center of multiple transitions in his life—one of the most immediate transitions being a move back home to take care of an ailing parent. He finds comfort and adventure under the branches of the oldest Ponderosa Pine, a place where he meets a stranger who knows all about the forest and the pain of losing endangered things. As Archer navigates the changes in his life, he discovers the power and legacies a name can contain.
Closing out the summer is Young Jean Lee’s “LEAR,” a wild collision of Shakespeare, the playwright’s inner struggles of facing the mortality of her father, and… Sesame Street. Equal parts daring and absurd, this piece shifts the focus away from the aging King Lear and directly to the adult children who cause and ignore the suffering of their father. One moment hilarious, the next tragic, “LEAR” explores a wild gamut of emotions in a performance unlike anything local audiences have seen before.
“Transformation. That’s what this entire season is about,” said Obvious Dad Artistic Director, Blake Harris. “We as a nation, state, local community, or even neighborhood don’t always feel as though we can get a handle on the ever-shifting world around us. While these two plays are wildly unique in their own ways, they both connect us to what it means to be human as they challenge us to empathetically reconsider our perspectives of stories and individuals we may not encounter every day.”
“Sagittarius Ponderosa” will be performed June 16-18, 23-25, 30, and July 1-2; “LEAR” will be performed August 4-6, 11-13, and 18-20. All performances are at the UTC Fine Arts Center at 752 Vine St. Fridays and Saturdays start at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays start at 2:30 p.m.
Season passes are available now at obviousdad.com. This season, Sundays are “Pay What You Wish,” a program that allows audiences to see the show for free or a donation amount of their choice.
“This season sums up what Obvious Dad is all about,” said Grace Holtz, Artistic Producer. “We’re here to tell the stories that aren’t always told on our local stages. Our shows may be considered experimental at times, but there’s one thing they all have in common: heart.”
Obvious Dad is an ArtsBuild Community Arts Partner. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.