"The Sugar Witch"

"Like gothic drama and fiction, southern gothic uses place, irony, and atmosphere

to obscure the boundaries between the natural and supernatural. But unlike its parent genre,

southern gothic is bound by the south's smothering ties to a dark social and cultural legacy,

seen in the works of writers such as William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Harper Lee.

Nathan Sanders, whose eerie drama 'The Sugar Witch' will play tonight and Saturday

at the Theatre Passe Muraille, can add his name to that list."

- The Torontoist

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"Intriguing...chilling...
Where 'The Sugar Witch' is most interesting is in Sanders' treatment of same-sex love
not as a coming-out trauma or a cause, but as a natural part of life."
- Robert Hurwitt, The San Francisco Chronicle

"In the style called Southern Gothic, this tale of mysticism is as eerie as a ghost story.
The actors give energetic, well timed performances on the realistic stage set
to denote the attitude of mundane acceptance of a simmering undercurrent of evil."
- Albert Goodwyn, San Francisco Examiner

Playwright Nathan Sanders displays a delightful propensity for twinkling weirdness.
'The Sugar Witch' deserves high marks... a whimsical journey into ominous territories."
- Richard Dodds, The Bay Area Reporter

"Nathan Sanders is a grab-you-by-the-nuts playwright.
The audience actually screamed with laughter in the first act - and slunk down in their seats in the second.
Not because they didn't like it. They were scared.
(The Sugar Witch) is dazzlingly written... downright spooky and dangerous!"
- Lee Hartgrave, Critics World

"The Sugar Witch provides a solid evening of entertainment anchored by strong performances.
Nathan Sanders has created a highly entertaining ghost story filled with enough overt racism, warped religion,
repressed gay lust, and lesbian intrigue to cast a powerful spell on audiences. "
- George Heymont, My Cultural Landscape

(William Giammona as "Hank" & Kendra Owens as "Annabelle" in "The Sugar Witch" at NCTC)

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"Bewitching!"

-San Jose Mercury News

"Spellbinding...
a gem of special effects, dead bodies, silent demons,
flickering campfires and flying cats...
eerie... chilling... moody...
(The Sugar Witch) embraces gay/lesbian themes as
heartily as anything you'll get south of San Francisco...
(a) gender-reversed Sleeping Beauty!"

- Metro Weekly (Silicon Valley)

"A hauntingly creepy delight...
lyrically written... a standout... quality play...
intriguing... impressive...wonderful...
(a) story of decay, violence and transformation...
Li'l Abner meets William Faulkner...
(The Sugar Witch) is filled with weird, surreal, stageworthy dramatic moments and situations...
a satisfying balance between gothic horror and humor!"

-Palo Alto Daily News

CLICK HERE TO ORDER ACTING EDITION OF "THE SUGAR WITCH" FROM SAMUEL FRENCH

(Kendra Owens as "Annabelle" in "The Sugar Witch" at Northside Theatre Co., San Jose, CA)

("The Sugar Witch" at Rep 21 Theatre, Ontario Canada)

ABOUT THE PLAY

The Bean family in Sugar Bean, Florida live under an ancient family curse. The surviving members of the town's founding family have reached the end of their rope. Just when things can't possibly get any worse, tragedy strikes as a mysterious and brutal murder takes place in the Bean family home. The crime places "Moses" and "Sisser" in grave danger as "Annabelle", the last in a long-line of so-called "Sugar Witches", attempts to end the curse placed on their heads by the dying words of her very own grandmother.

Dark family secrets are revealed and unusual passions are ignited as the family confronts madness, truth and the destructive legacy of racism as the spirits of the dead walk the dark swamp, haunting the hearts of all who reside there. "The Sugar Witch" is a dark, Southern Gothic play that will linger in the minds of the audience long after the curtain falls.

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(Kezia Radke & Scott Cox in "The Sugar Witch" at Northside Theatre Co., San Jose, CA)

PRODUCTION HISTORY:

"The Sugar Witch", Part II in "The Sugar Bean Trilogy" of plays, received its world premiere production at Northside Theatre Company in San Jose, CA. "The Sugar Witch" opened at the Black Box Theatre on October 4, 2007 and ran through October 28th. The production was directed by Richard T. Orlando with the following cast: Kezia Radke as "Sisser", JeannieRae Orlando as "Ruth Ann Meeks", Kendra Owens as "Annabelle", Scott Cox as "Moses Bean", Paul Ulloa as "Hank Hartley" & Jerry Hitchcock as "Granddaddy Meeks".

*The production was funded in part by Applied Materials Excellence in the Arts: a program of Arts Council Silicon Valley.

PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS

Northside Theatre Company (San Jose, California) - 2007

New Conservatory Theatre Center (San Francisco, California) -2010

Rep 21 - Contemporary Theatre (Sturgeon Falls, Ontario CANADA) - 2010

Dayton Theatre Guild (Dayton, Ohio) - 2010

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