Mimi Kennedy Returns to the Stage as Pru Payne
at Arizona Theatre Company
“I’ve wanted to return to theater after more than a decade. It will help me ‘re-membert,’ which is exactly what Prudence is doing in the play. This layered role of a brilliant woman losing her memory and finding emotional connection is profoundly moving to me. Any lead role offer is alluring, but I sobbed after I first read this script and realized I must do it. I read once in an interview that Meryl Streep said if she cried, reading a script, it was a good sign she was going to do it. I’m happy to be in Phoenix and Tucson where I have good memories with old friends. And I always want to participate in stories that affirm life in some way for the audience, not just for me, acting. This reflection on love and memory is something we all face, whether we are noticing changes as we age or seeing it in loved ones. All of us feel fractured sometimes – dis-membered. What is it to re-member?- that profound question is the heart of the play. I’m also thrilled to play an intellectual: that is a road not taken for me, but I read and admire the public intellectuals like Susan Sontag, Joan Didion – they have always mattered to me. I have done a lot of public speaking in my life and I love that Prudence is delivering a speech that she returns to throughout the play. The role is a match for me after seven decades. And that’s a gift on every level.”
-Mimi Kennedy
From ATC Release:
Pru Payne is the 2022 winner of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and was written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Steven Drukman. It is a remarkable, funny, and emotional journey about the evolution of love and identity in the face of memory loss that will be directed by Sean Daniels.
Arizona Theatre Company is excited to announce that Mimi Kennedy will be returning to the stage for the first time in over a decade as the title character in ATC’s world premiere of Pru Payne by Steven Drukman this spring. Audiences will follow the witty intellectual Prudence “Pru” Payne as her memory begins to fade and she questions preconceived notions about her identity and discovers unexpected love. Pru Payne is the second show under the leadership of ATC’s new Kasser Family Artistic Director Matt August.
“We are thrilled that Mimi Kennedy is going to leave her indelible imprint on this character, which has been so brilliantly written by Steven Drukman. With new-play maestro Sean Daniels guiding the process, Pru is sure to be a celebrated addition to America’s rich tradition of iconic leading ladies.”
Show Run & Ticket Information:
March 4 through March 25 in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art (330 S. Scott Ave.)
March 30 through April 16 in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center (222 E. Monroe St.). Tickets are on sale now; prices begin at $25.
Tickets can be purchased online at atc.org or by phone at 1-833-ATC-SEAT.
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Available for viewing 3/27/23 – 4/30/23.
About Arizona Theatre Company
Arizona Theatre Company’s (ATC) performances bring people together to experience essential stories, from reimagined classics to contemporary plays, original works, and innovative musicals fostering continued conversation beyond the theatre walls. Founded in 1966 and celebrating its 55th season, ATC is led by Executive Director Geri Wright and Kasser Family Artistic Director Matt August. ATC operates in two major cities and is the preeminent professional theatre in Arizona, recognized as the official State theatre.