Erin Malone Turner’s ‘for the rest of our lives’ Premieres at Undermain Theatre
Erin Malone Turner’s ‘for the rest of our lives’ Premieres at Undermain Theatre
Erin Malone Turner’s latest work, for the rest of our lives, is premiering at Dallas’ Undermain Theatre. The production features an all-Black cast and direction by vickie washington, presenting a romantic exploration of fate, connection, and reincarnation.
Award-winning playwright Erin Malone Turner’s latest work, for the rest of our lives, is premiering at Dallas’ Undermain Theatre. The production features an all-Black cast and direction by vickie washington, presenting a romantic exploration of fate, connection, and reincarnation.
The play follows two lovers whose paths intertwine across three distinct lifetimes. Portrayed by Zariyah Perry as the eternal Woman and Nathaniel Wooley II as the Man who repeatedly appears in her life, the characters navigate their relationship through different historical eras. Reviewer Martha Heimberg has praised the actors’ chemistry, the imaginative storytelling, and the thoughtful production design.
Turner’s work has previously been featured in theaters throughout Dallas and Fort Worth. for the rest of our lives was developed as the winner of the Katherine Owens/Undermain Fund for New Work. The two-hander is described as playful and insightful, with Perry and Wooley II generating what reviewers note as a natural chemistry that supports their dramatic touch-and-go romance.
The narrative begins with an ageless couple in a setting where the female character is isolated in a castle tower by her father due to her imperfection. She spends her time painting images of a world of sunlight she imagines exists outside. Her companion is a lowly servant who has loved her from afar and plays songs for her on a flute made from the wing of a swan. Turner stated that the play was inspired by the discovery that prehistoric woodwinds were constructed from bird wing bones.
Director vickie washington guides the audience through the characters’ subsequent lifetimes. In the second era, set in colonial times, the male character is the son of a prominent baker who struggles with reading but collects lost keys to imagine what they might unlock. The female character is a feisty maid who effectively runs the household despite her social standing.
The story then moves to modern times, where the lovers meet again in an artifact-strewn laboratory. In this setting, she is portrayed as a brilliant archeologist and he as her eager assistant. The production includes set design by Luke Atkison and lighting design by Aaron Johansen, who utilized the huge support columns in Undermain’s intimate basement theater. Costume designer Ava Roberts-Kamaria focused on colonial era outfits, while Claudia Jenkins Martinez curated the intermission music to include Percy Sledge’s "When a Man Loves a Woman."
Despite occasional idiomatic shifts in language as the characters speak across ages, the performers are described as charming in all their guises. The production runs through November 22 at Undermain Theatre, located at 3200 Main St. Information regarding times and tickets is available by calling 214-747-5515 or visiting www.Undermain.org.
J.Evans--CT
