“Tilting Ground,” a tightly-woven family drama by British screenwriter Guy Hibbert, is the first of several premieres of the Winnipesaukee Playhouse 2016 season, and it will be staged this weekend.
The play is set in a luxurious beach house overlooking the sea near Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast of Mexico. About a wealthy American widow, her brooding and mysterious son, and her sensitive new husband, began rehearsals on Monday and will be performed Thursday through Sunday.
It features Playhouse regulars Richard Brundage and William Vaughn (N.H. Theatre Award winner for playing the title role in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”), along with N.H.-based actress Pat Langille, whose last performance with the Playhouse was in Steel Magnolias at the Playhouse’s original location in Weirs Beach.
Though “Tilting Ground” has been performed around the world, the Winnipesaukee Playhouse will be the play’s home for its U.S. debut.
Neil Pankhurst, the Playhouse’s artistic director who is also directing the production says, “it’s really amazing that this play has never been performed in this country. It’s exactly what we often look for: interesting characters, a plot with a bit of mystery, and well-written dialogue.”
“Tilting Ground” will run for five performances, Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost between $16 and $27. They can be ordered by calling 279-0333 or by using a credit card at winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.