JONESBOROUGH REPERTORY THEATRE

The latest Jonesborough Repertory Theatre production, the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Wit,” is what JRT artistic director Kathleen Buttolph calls “a journey show,” and for her it’s the last step in one part of her journey.

The show opened Thursday night and will play all weekend as well as Sept. 24-27. It is about a woman with terminal ovarian cancer who begins to reassess her life, transforming herself and the audience in the process. It’s also the final show for Buttolph in her role at JRT, as she’s moving to Princeton, N.J., after “Wit” closes. Her husband will be attending graduate school there.

“I’ve been saying goodbye for a while, and now I’m just ready to open the show,” Buttolph said with a laugh. “I’m so very, very proud of this particular show. I’m glad I made this my last show here. It’s a really good team of people.

“And the way the playwright has written this, it really does break down the journey and the experience and takes the audience through every step. There’s a lot of struggle and triumph in it, and there’s a sense of peace. It leaves you with a sense of peace.”

Buttolph hopes to leave JRT with a sense of peace, as well, as it searches for her successor, but she leaves big shoes to fill. Buttolph has played a huge role in reviving this tiny community theater and making it one of the most thriving in the region. Since 2003 she has been involved in every level of the theater, from building and painting sets to acting, directing, marketing and doing administrative work.

She said once she gets settled into her New Jersey home she’ll look into theater jobs and is hoping to be involved in theater for children as well as theater as an outreach, such as for the Deaf or, as with “Wit,” for cancer awareness.

“There’s a lot of good theater up there,” she said, adding that, “I really like opening eyes, almost educational theater. Working here at JRT, it’s brought people together as friends and opened up the community to so many things. Even with this play, so many people have worked together.”

The play was written by Margaret Edson and won a Pulitzer in 1999. This production stars Debbie Shoun as Vivian Bearing, the main character, and is done as part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

Proceeds from Saturday’s performance will go to the American Cancer Society. There will also be a “Wall of Hope” for audience members to sign in honor and memory of loves one who have battled cancer. Esteemed Kingsport photographer David Clapp will be displaying two photos from his “It’s Not About the Hair” series, photos featuring cancer warriors.

“The reality is that cancer is a terrible disease and the diagnosis is always dire, and if it ever happens to you or a member of your family you live with it constantly,” Shoun said. “The message of the play is all about hope. Vivian accepts God and accepts her mortality, and at the same time understands immortality. It is my hope that the audience will approach the show not as a play about death, but life everlasting.”

The cast and crew have received an education of their own during the production. Mediserve Medical Equipment has provided things like a hospital bed, bedside table, an IV stand and a wheelchair to make the set realistic, and medical professionals have come by to show the staff how to use each piece of equipment and reasonably re-create medical techniques.

Buttolph, Shoun and Mike Lilly, who portrays Dr. Kelekian, have wanted to produce “Wit” for several years. 

“I was profoundly moved when I saw it,” Lilly said. “There are so many layers to the show, it has little to do with someone dying of ovarian cancer. It is about stripping away at everything you thought was important in your life, so you are free enough to leave.”

Buttolph said she doesn’t want audiences to stay away from the show because of the serious subject matter.

“Patrons don’t always want to see plays that they think will bring them sadder emotions, but this is very uplifting, it’s not a downer,” she said. “It’s going to make people think, and be a very good conversation piece. And there are actually comedic elements to it. I hope people will come see it.”

Main characters in the cast are played by Hunter Roberts as Dr. Jason Posner; Anne Carpenter as Susie Monahan; Rosemarie Shields as Professor E.M. Ashford; Bruce Shields as Mr. Bearing; The rest of the cast includes Josh O’Bryan, Jaime Herman, Katy Rosolowski and Nancy Oakley.

Performances today and Saturday are at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2. Next week’s Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are also at 8, with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee as the finale. The Sept. 26 performance will be interpreted for the Deaf.

General admission is $12, while students and seniors (65 and up) get in for $10.

For information on tickets or to make a reservation, call the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 753-1010.