'Late: A Cowboy Song' opens in Long Beach April 27

University Players of Cal State Long Beach presents Late: A Cowboy Song by Sarah Ruhl, April 27th through May 12th. Directed by Margarett Perry, Late explores a young woman's uncertainty as she struggles with the elusiveness of happiness and personal contentment.



Set within the industrial city limits of Pittsburgh and its bordering wide, open spaces, Late depicts a woman caught between her relationship with her childhood sweetheart and her blossoming friendship with a woman from her past. When one moves slowly and the other fast, Mary strives to find her rhythm. “I love the concept within the play that Mary articulates, which is, ‘Do you think that two people can experience time at the exact same speed,’” director Margarett Perry notes. “I think that wanting to feel things in the same way that somebody else does indicates that Mary is revving out of control and she’s not able to communicate and really be present with somebody else. Which is also where the concept of ‘late’ comes in – this character is always running late. She wants to be happy where she is, but she’s dissatisfied so she can’t seem to get to where her responsibilities are.”



From Rothko to Rauschenberg, the set design focuses on the world of modern art, which moves and divides the characters within the play as they define their identities. “The set is a piece of modern art in the style of Rauschenberg,” Perry explains. “There are many things on the set that are art sculptures. Things like tables and chairs and couches and shelves will exist, but they will not be the thing itself – they will all be created from found objects.”



Margarett Perry is an award-winning director of new plays. Favorite Off-Broadway credits include Call Me Waldo by Rob Ackerman (Working Theatre), Clean Alternatives by Brian Dykstra (59E59, Fringe First Award-Edinburgh), First Prize by Israela Margalit (Arclight), The Body Politic by Richard Abrons (59E59) and A Play On Words by Brian Dykstra (59E59) and the extended Off Broadway run of Brian Dykstra’s The Jesus Factor at the Barrow Street Theatre. Margarett has directed more than 15 productions for the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca including world premieres by Rachel Axler, Rob Ackerman, Brian Dykstra and Darian Dauchan, as well as classics including Old Times and Private Lives. She is also a regular at the Human Race Theatre Company where this season she directed God of Carnage and where her productions have won Day Tony Awards for Best Overall Production (Painting Churches) and Best Ensemble (Retreat from Moscow). Margarett was the Producing Artistic Director of Access Theater in NYC for six years where she directed and produced numerous plays and world premieres. She is an Artistic Fellow at The Lark Play Development Center where she has worked with a variety of writers developing their work.



Late: A Cowboy Song opens Friday, April 27th and runs for 15 performances, closing on Saturday, May 12th. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm with Saturday matinees at 2 pm. This production is in the Players’ Theatre on the CSULB South Campus, accessible via West Campus Drive. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students (with valid ID). For tickets and information, please call (562) 985-5526 or visit www.csulb.edu/depts/theatre.