Mission:
To stretch the boundaries of theater; to explore the inter-arts
and to give sound to the voices of women and diversity.
Perihelion Theater Company, Ltd. is a non-profit, 501-C-3 fully tax exempt organization. A non-profit, professional theater company, Perihelion began producing plays in 1987 under the name Eccentric Circles Theater Co. of North Carolina. In 1989 the company formed officially under the name Perihelion Theater Co. Ltd. and received full tax exempt status in 1992. (See: "About Perihelion") Many of the Plays have been produced in different venues of North Carolina. Two productions have been presented in off-off-Broadway spaces in New York City. One play that toured North Carolina was later taped for television and presented on UNC-TV, North Carolina's statewide PBS affiliate station. Two plays have been presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Productions
The majority of the plays have been written and directed by artistic director, Karyn Traut. For a full list see Productions.
Currently
3 + 1:
A reading of: Three ten minute plays followed by one longer play performed at the Seymour Senior Center auditorium at 2551 Homestead Rd in Chapel Hill
at 5:00 PM, Sunday August 11.
The reading is free and open to the public.
Actors reading the parts include: Sarah Froeber, Mary Beth Clark, Cooper Thornton, Mike Shannon, Theresa Yuschok and Carol Oleson
The Ten minute plays : If You Won't...I..." by Karyn Traut. In the 1990's an old school Kentucky mother surprises her successful unmarried-by-choice daughter... "To Stay or Not To Stay" by Karyn Traut. A woman seeks advice regarding whether to stay with Craig after three years... or not. 'Deliberative Bodies" By Julie Tomkovick. In an imagined future, U.S. senators named for the corporations that hired them, meet to discuss policy. The One act play: "Love Thy Enemy" by Karyn Traut. In the early '60's, an American daughter of a WWII hero, meets the mother of her kind, beloved German born husband, and asks what she did during the Hitler years. Based on a true story, the names have been changed for privacy. Discussions follow the ten minute plays led by Karyn Traut and Julie Tomkovick; Discussion following Love Thy Enemy will be led by Dr. Theresa Yuschok Lawrence.
Saturday's Children, a film of the play by Karyn Traut, about characters in the year 1988 arguing about the life and legacy of Thomas Jefferson, is available on Vimeo. (See Jefferson Film)
Kindred Spirit Plays In addition, several plays, created by other writers, have been produced by Perihelion. For a full list see Productions. We are proud to have produced Blue Opal, by Jaki Shelton Green, currently North Carolina Poet Laureate.
Videos In 1993 the play ALLIGATOR AND ELLIS was given a professional video production, and then shown on UNC-TV, the NC PBS affiliate, throughout North Carolina.
A reading of: Three ten minute plays followed by one longer play performed at the Seymour Senior Center auditorium at 2551 Homestead Rd in Chapel Hill
at 5:00 PM, Sunday August 11.
The reading is free and open to the public.
Actors reading the parts include: Sarah Froeber, Mary Beth Clark, Cooper Thornton, Mike Shannon, Theresa Yuschok and Carol Oleson
The Ten minute plays : If You Won't...I..." by Karyn Traut. In the 1990's an old school Kentucky mother surprises her successful unmarried-by-choice daughter... "To Stay or Not To Stay" by Karyn Traut. A woman seeks advice regarding whether to stay with Craig after three years... or not. 'Deliberative Bodies" By Julie Tomkovick. In an imagined future, U.S. senators named for the corporations that hired them, meet to discuss policy. The One act play: "Love Thy Enemy" by Karyn Traut. In the early '60's, an American daughter of a WWII hero, meets the mother of her kind, beloved German born husband, and asks what she did during the Hitler years. Based on a true story, the names have been changed for privacy. Discussions follow the ten minute plays led by Karyn Traut and Julie Tomkovick; Discussion following Love Thy Enemy will be led by Dr. Theresa Yuschok Lawrence.
Saturday's Children, a film of the play by Karyn Traut, about characters in the year 1988 arguing about the life and legacy of Thomas Jefferson, is available on Vimeo. (See Jefferson Film)
Kindred Spirit Plays In addition, several plays, created by other writers, have been produced by Perihelion. For a full list see Productions. We are proud to have produced Blue Opal, by Jaki Shelton Green, currently North Carolina Poet Laureate.
Videos In 1993 the play ALLIGATOR AND ELLIS was given a professional video production, and then shown on UNC-TV, the NC PBS affiliate, throughout North Carolina.
Upcoming 3 Plus 1:
Sarah Froeber, Mary Beth Clark, Cooper Thornton, Mike Shannon, Theresa Yuschok and Carol Oleson in
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 AT 7:00 P.M. and
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, AT 5:00 PM
AT THE ARTSCENTER, IN CARRBORO,
A LITERARY PERFORMANCE, ‘THREE PLUS ONE’:
CELEBRATING THE SCRIPTED WORD BROUGHT TO LIFE.
Discussions with the audience follow the ten minute plays and the longer: LOVE THY ENEMY.
For descriptions of the plays see above current production.
TICKETS @ $10.00 available at the ArtsCenter
"Home of the healing play" ... Spectator Magazine 1998
Regarding Healing Theater:
When I was teaching in the Department of Social Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my students and I researched cultures that used art as part of the healing process. The Hopi, I learned, believed that if an individual was ill, it was a result of an illness in the community as a whole. Theater was their means of healing the community and through it, the afflicted individual.
Aristotle wrote of the catharsis which theater allowed. To heal a wound, we must probe it. Once probed, we must not be afraid to aerate it with laughter or tears. From the beginning of my own work in theater I had felt it was necessary to go to the core of problems and not skirt around with diversions. It was remarkable for me to learn that the Hopi not only knew the group healing power of theater, but had been practicing it for centuries.
...Karyn Traut, artistic director.
Financial Contributions
A critical feature of the cinema production of Saturday's Children was that all costs were paid by donations to Perihelion from individuals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept unsolicited manuscripts? No.
Do you have open auditions? Sometimes.
How do I get involved? If you've read everything on the website and think this is a company with which you'd like to work, send a query letter to the address below.
Are contributions tax deductible? Yes.
How To Contact Perihelion
• Write To
Perihelion Theater Company
PO Box 208
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Perihelion Theater Company
PO Box 208
Chapel Hill, NC 27514