The play is by Michael Hollinger and directed by Terrence J. Nolen.
Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Holy Grail of Memphis, running from January 16-February 23, with an opening night on January 22, at Arden’s 175-seat Arcadia Stage. The comedy by Philadelphia-based playwright Michael Hollinger is about Newton Stover II, who unearths long-lost blues recordings and fights to restore his grandfather’s music studio and fractured family legacy. Terrence J. Nolen, producing artistic director for the Arden, directs.
The cast of Holy Grail of Memphis includes Matteo Scammell (The BFG) as Newton “Newt” Stover II, Erin Malimban as Lee Hara, Newton Buchanan as Derek Benoit, Kishia Nixon as Gigi Robins, Mary Martello (Gypsy) as Sheila Wojciechowski, and Fred Michael Beam (I Didn’t Hear That Color) as Alfred “Deaf Duck” Mason.
Holy Grail of Memphis takes place in present-day Memphis, Tennessee in a mid-century recording studio with vintage equipment, microphones, mixers, and amplifiers. Newton “Newt” Stover II uncovers the long-lost recordings of legendary blues guitarist and singer Alfred “Deaf Duck” Mason, who was Deaf and performed throughout the Mississippi Delta for decades, inspiring Black bluesmen and women.
This play marks Hollinger’s tenth world premiere at the Arden. His partnership with the Arden began in 1994 with An Empty Plate in the Café Du Grand Boeuf.
The design team includes set designer Luciana Stecconi, lighting designer J. Dominic Chacon, costume designer Leigh Paradise, and sound designer John Stovicek.