Caryl Churchill's Cloud 9 Set to Begin Performances

Cloud 9 begins performances tonight at Studio Theatre.

Caryl Churchill's play, set in 1880 Africa, follows colonial administrator Clive as the head of a hodge-podge Victorian household that includes his flustered wife Betty, son Edward, daughter Victoria, secretly lesbian governess Ellen, mother-in-law Maud, and fiercely loyal servant Joshua who coexist in an uneasy equilibrium. This balancing act is destabilized by rumors of native uprisings as well as the arrival of Mrs. Saunders, a widow of questionable intentions, and Harry Bagley, the dashing explorer of Betty’s dreams. As tensions rise between local tribes and their British overseers, so does the sexual tension in the house. Fast forward a century to 1980, London, where, only 25 years have passed for Betty and her children Edward and Victoria. Times have changed: it is an era of sexual liberation and personal fulfillment; but if the political unrest has settled, desires are no less tumultuous.

The cast includes John Scherer (Clive/Edward), Wyatt Fenner (Betty/Gerry), Philippe Bowgen (Joshua/Cathy), Holly Twyford (Ellen/Mrs. Saunders/Betty), Joy Jones (Maude/Lin), Laura C. Harris (Edward/Victoria), and Christian Pedersen (Harry Bagley/Martin). Michael Kahn directs.

The creative staff includes set designer Luciana Stecconi, lighting designer Peter West, costume designer Frank Labovitz, sound designer Christopher Baine, dramaturg Adrien-Alice Hansel, voice coach Elizabeth Forte Alman, and fight coach Jonathan
Ezra Rubin.

The production will run through October 10.

For more information and tickets, click here.