Philly Revival of Molly Sweeney Will Feature Blind Actress Pamela Sabaugh | Playbill

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News Philly Revival of Molly Sweeney Will Feature Blind Actress Pamela Sabaugh Amaryllis Theatre Company's new production of Brian Friel's Molly Sweeney, about a woman blind since infancy, will feature a blind actress, Pamela Sabaugh, in the title role.

The Philadelphia troupe's revival of the play, opening Nov. 1 at The Black Box at The Adrienne at 2030 Sansom Street, also includes Stephen Patrick Smith as Frank Sweeney and Michael Toner as the doctor.

The production, directed by Tom Reing, is said to mark the first time the 1994 play has been performed by a blind actress.

The staging is one of the centerpieces of "Independence Starts Here: A Festival of Disability Arts and Culture," running Oct. 18-Nov. 20 across greater Philadelphia.

Large print and Braille programs are available at every performance. This production, written in a series of monologues, does not need audio description.

Molly Sweeney is "the complex story of a woman, blind since infancy, whose comfortable world is transformed when she regains her sight." The work is based on a case study of Dr. Oliver Sacks. According to Amaryllis production notes, "Many people who are sighted think of blindness as something to fear the most. However, the combination of Brian Friel's gloriously poetic words and insight and actress Pamela Sabaugh's personal understanding of blindness provides a positive and thought-provoking perspective of blindness."

Performances will continue to Nov. 18, running Wednesday-Friday at 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM.

The production will be Open Captioned on Sundays at 2 PM; Shadow Interpreted in ASL on Nov. 2 at 8 PM.

For more information visit www.amaryllistheatre.org.

 
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