PMA Lecturer and A&S Advising Dean Aoise Stratford’s play The Unfortunates just completed its run with the Spirit Gum Theatre Company, at the Mountcastle Forum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Performances for the season took place on January 31 – February 2 and from February 7 – February 9. The play, written by Stratford, and directed by Ashley Pearson, is published by TRW and was a Time Out New York Critics Pick.
The Unfortunates: In this intimate ghost story, Mary Jane Kelly has a problem. She’s a pound forty behind in her rent, her window is broken, she has lost her key, and her boyfriend just moved out. And it’s 1888—not a good time to be poor and “unfortunate” on the streets of London. Somewhere out there in the foggy shadows, Jack the Ripper, one of the world’s most notorious criminals is at work. Mary only has two ways to secure her own front door. One of them is prostitution. The other is selling something she shouldn’t have in the first place, something she’ll have to betray her murdered best friend and herself to give up.
“[The Unfortunates] achieves a rare combination of pathos and humor, breathing fresh life into women we might otherwise think of only as long-dead prey.” – Time Out New York
Spirit Gum Theatre Company is dedicated to producing high-quality theatre and inspiring local actors and artists. We began as three friends who simply wanted to collaborate together on stage. The idea of a modest show grew to the dream of a theatre company and a chance to explore the many creative facets theatre allows. Spirit Gum is the adhesive used in theatre to attach costume prosthetics, like the wonderful mustache in our logo! Both our name and logo capture the playfulness and creativity of Spirit Gum Theatre Company’s founders. It is this playful spirit that drives us to achieve our mission and grow as a theatre company!
