Carbondale’s Thunder River Theatre Company concludes its 2019-20 season with a performance of the one-woman play "The Pink Unicorn," which premiers virtually Friday, June 12 and is available for online viewing until June 27.
The production, written by Elise Forier Edie and directed by Susan Lyles, offers a laughable and sometimes heart-wrenching take on gender identity and queerness set in conservative Texas. Actress Missy Moore previously won a Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award for her role as the play’s lead when she performed it last year with Denver's And Toto Too Theatre Company. She resumes the role for Thunder River Theatre Company's upcoming production.
"What can be more timely than a play that is about us learning to accept each other for who we are, and this piece does that in a really heartfelt way."
"It's comical and it does take on very challenging issues," said Thunder River Theatre Company's executive artistic director Corey Simpson. "What can be more timely than a play that is about us learning to accept each other for who we are, and this piece does that in a really heartfelt way."
Due to COVID-19, Lyle and Moore rehearsed remotely for the Thunder River Theatre Company production; Moore rehearsed in a downtown Los Angeles dance studio, while Lyle directed from her Denver home. Simpson said that despite the duo working separately throughout the lead-up to the show, the small nature of the production lent itself to socially distanced rehearsals.
"It might've been more difficult if this were a piece that had a lot more performers," he said. "In this case where it's just one actor, they really enjoyed the process."
Audiences can purchase tickets for the pre-taped performance on Thunder River Theatre Company's website. "The Pink Unicorn" will be available for viewing from June 12 through June 27.
