Hickory – Two local actors, Jordan Randall and Will Vogler, are returning to the Hickory Community Theatre stage for the upcoming production of Conor McPherson’s supernatural Irish drama, The Weir. Performances will run March 18-28 on the Pamela Livingstone Stage in the Jeffers Theatre.
Randall and Vogler first appeared together at HCT in as Gandalf and Gloin in The Hobbit. Both have also been cowboys at Tweetsie Railroad, and have been part of the Valdese outdoor drama, From This Day Forward.
Randall’s most recent HCT outing was playing Walter Lee Younger, Jr. in A Raisin in the Sun in 2020. His other stage credits include Booker T. Washington in Ragtime at HCT and Driving Miss Daisy at The Green Room. He describes his first theatre experience though as unexpected. “I got into theatre by accidentally walking into an audition in high school, and I have been obsessed with storytelling ever since.”
Vogler was also in the 2020 production if A Raisin in the Sun, playing Karl Lindner. His most recent role was his tour-de-force solo performance as Sam in HCT’s first-ever one man show, Fully Committed. His other credits include Murder on the Nile and Twelve Angry Jurors at The Green Room. When asked why he chose to audition for this show he said, “I enjoy doing dark shows and I always enjoy doing an Irish accent.”
Combining the Irish traditions of drinking and socializing, storytelling and folklore, The Weir is set at a local pub in rural Ireland, where the bartender and a couple of the regulars, all bachelors, are spending the evening. They are soon joined by a married friend, accompanying a female newcomer from Dublin, who has just rented an old house nearby. After a few rounds of drinks, the men’s banter takes a turn towards the supernatural, as they tell tales about faeries, ghosts, and strange occurrences. But it’s the newcomer whose own supernatural encounter tops them all.
Performances of The Weir are Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays (Mar 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27) at 7:30pm, and Sundays (Mar 21 & 28) at 2:30pm. This production is rated R for strong adult language.
The Weir will be broadcast live online. Tickets are $10 for a single viewer and $18 for a household. Tickets for the general public are available through the theatre’s website at hickorytheatre.org. Due to limitations by the ticketing service provider, reservations for subscribers are only available by email or contacting the box office at 828-328-2283.
In person seating is available for all performances, with limited capacity in compliance with the governor’s executive order. Tickets for all seats are $18 per person and may be purchased by calling the box office at 828-328-2283 between 12pm and 5pm weekdays or email [email protected]. Per the executive order, patrons must wear face coverings at all times while in the building.
The Weir is produced by Commscope. A Cleaner World, Paramount Automotive, the City of Hickory, Sunbelt Xpress and Dr. George Clay, DDS are the sponsors of the 2020-2021 Season. The Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
PHOTO: Will Vogler (left) as Brendan and Jordan Randall as Jim in The Weir, coming to the Hickory Community Theatre, March 18-28, broadcasting live from the Jeffers Theatre and with limited in person seating. For show times and tickets visit hickorytheatre.org or call 828-328-2283. Photo by Eric Seale.
