Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga launches its new season with the Broadway musical “Violet,” opening tonight, Sept. 10, at the company’s new home, The Highland Center.
Written by Jeanine Tesori with lyrics and book by Brian Crawley, “Violet” is the story of a young woman with a disfiguring scar who journeys from rural North Carolina to Tulsa, Okla., via Greyhound bus, to meet a televangelist she believes can heal her. What she learns is that surface scars aren’t the only ones that need healing. The play is based on the short story “The Ugliest Pilgrim” by Doris Betts.
The new season also comes with a new focus for Ensemble.
“We found ourselves in an interesting predicament several months ago that, quite frankly, addressed the mortality of the organization we have been developing,” says Executive Director and founder Garry Lee Posey in a news release. “Coupling that with a difficulty in maintaining our space at Eastgate due to changes in management, we decided perhaps it would be best to step back and reassess our positioning.”
“We just needed to discover what was and wasn’t working and how we could continue moving forward,” adds producing Partner Casey Keelen.