Crawlspace

By Matt Glickstein (Music) and Jason Spraggins (Book, Lyrics)

Performs July 22 and 23 at 2:30 (Audience talkback following the Saturday performances)

Years after her interviews with accused killer, John Wayne Gacy, famed forensic psychologist Dr. Judy Matthewson remains haunted by the case. As a survivor of abuse, she has devoted her career to studying the origins of violence as related to the human brain. She believes this case still holds hidden answers. Answers don't come easily. The Doctor's quest to uncover the elusive source of criminal violence leads her on a psychological journey that blurs the line between reality, John's "memories", and her own psyche.

Crawlspace is based on the story of a convicted serial killer. Although inspired by his own words and the public record of his life and crimes, this is a work of historical fiction. Certain names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. Fictional characters have been added, and liberties have been taken that differentiate this work from the true-life events. The musical is a theatrical re-imagining of the story and horror of the case and those who suffered in its wake.

Cyclone and The Pig-Faced Lady

By Dana Leslie Goldstein (Book), Rima Fand (Music)

Performs July 29 and 30 at 2:30 (Audience talkback following the Saturday performance)

Sally Kaplan’s hit comic book “Cyclone” is set in the glamorous, seedy Coney Island of the 1920's, where Cyclone, a sultry gypsy heartbreaker, and her freakish twin sister, the Pig-Faced Lady, always save the day. But in the real world, there are no superheroes, and Sally must find a way to become the hero of her own story.

Titty Bars

by McAdoo Greer (Book), Sherry Landrum (Lyrics), Ned Ginsburg (Music)

Performs August 5th and 6th at 2:30 (Audience talkback following the Saturday performance)

"Cookie Dough" D'Amico loves her job, but when the local strip joints are shut down by crusading politicians and a reluctant sheriff, she's forced to look elsewhere for work. The joints have been good for McCabe County, according to Cookie Dough, and once she explains her theory of Titty Bar Trickle Down Economics to her constituents, there's no stopping her run for public office.  Well, nothing except opponent and lover, Sheriff Jesse Brock. This is the 21st century small town, Bible-belted, Wal-Mart-bombed, meth-addled state of Tennessee and as Cookie Dough's political campaign gathers steam, odd coalitions form. Yes, politics does make for strange bedfellows, and at the height of her notoriety, Cookie Dough turns up missing. And then Jesse.  Could this be one of those murder-suicides like what happened over in the next county? Titty Bars answers this question, then asks another, "Who can find a virtuous woman?"

Garry's Garbles

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga's 2023 season is structured around the theme of commitment.  Commitment to the community, commitment to the craft, commitment to the creators and the commitment to the cultural landscape.

ETC's Brave New Works New Play series has been in operation since 2009, although it has existed under different monikers.  We love cultivating new plays, providing playwrights opportunities to see their words come to life on stage for the first time.  Although several plays, through the Brave New Works series, Short Attention Span Theatre, Around the World in 8 Plays and New Play Tuesdays have been premiered by ETC, this is the first time we've attempted to take on musical theatre.  Even LIGHTS UP, our podcast, has premiered several new plays.  It was through LIGHTS UP where the idea for producing new musicals took shape.  We meet so many writers really diffing in deep to explore our version of storytelling.  They would talk about these great plays they had written and some even talked about musicals they had developed.  I asked to read them, and thought we have to help these get published and have commercial representation.  Writing a play is a solo exercise, getting a play on its feet is where the collaboration starts.  With a musical, though, the collaboration starts at the beginning.  OF these three shows we are workshopping, I know two of them have been in development for over 10 years and the other has several development years as well.

What you will see is not a final product.  Each of the musicals has its own unique journey, process, style and creative team.  But they are each worthy in their own way.  The opportunity to present these shows to the theatre community here in Chattanooga is beyond exciting for ETC.  We hope it shows our commitment to providing these opportunities for the artists and patrons in our great region.  

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga is a 501c3 non-profit organization which serves to culturally enrich the Chattanooga landscape through compensated opportunities for artists and unique experiences for audiences.  Since 2007, ETC has presented more than 100 productions, toured locally and nationally, and partnered with several area non-profits in the creation of programming that benefits our great city.  Our goal is simple to create a living wage regional theatre that introduces the complexities and vastness of our craft through meaningful experiences that are reflective and personal for both the artist and audience.  

We are the Ensemble Theatre that CREATES, CONNECTS, COLLABORATES and CARES