‘Tigers Be Still’ set to pounce on the Walton Arts Center

FAYETTEVILLE — Many recent college graduates know the sinking feeling of being unable to find gainful employment in their selected field of study. But how many go through those struggles with an escaped tiger prowling the neighborhood?

That's the underlying premise of Tigers Be Still, an off-Broadway hit scheduled to open at the Walton Arts Center on Feb. 10. Brought to Northwest Arkansas by the pros at TheatreSquared (T2), the production is slated to run through March 4.

“It represents what TheatreSquared is all about,” says T2 managing director Martin Miller. “It's warm-hearted and engaging for the audience. It will definitely keep their attention.”

Tigers is the story of down-and-out Sherry Wickman, a recent art therapy graduate who returns home to live with her equally depressed mother and sister. While Sherry is underemployed as a part-time art teacher at the local high school, her sister has taken up residence on the couch with a bottle of whiskey and her mother has barricaded herself in her room.

And all the while, the specter of an escaped tiger looms menacingly.

Despite the dark themes, the tone of the play is more of a "Juno-esque" dark comedy, says director Portia Krieger.

“We've been saying that it's a comedy about depression,” Krieger says. “Though there is a tiger on the loose, it's a story about three women in various stages of not being able to get out of bed in the morning. And we're watching their attempts to heal themselves and get back on track.”

“This is a story about escape, and not just for the tiger, which is lurking in the shadows,” Miller adds. “It's also an escape for Sherry, from the whole sense of being idle, without motion in her life."

Krieger served as assistant director when the play appeared off-Broadway and opened to great reviews. The New York Times called it "piercing, ferocious and devastatingly hilarious."

Miller describes Tigers as a quirky show with lots of laughs.

“It's finding humor in unlikely places,” Miller says. “And I think it's so funny, because it's so familiar.

“The theme is that with the right people around, you can get through anything. We're hoping the audience leaves inspired, energized and extremely amused.”

It was the first effort of playwright Kim Rosenstock, who's writing for the hit Fox sitcom “New Girl.” Rosenstock will attend the play's opening-weekend performances and host a public event on Feb. 11.

Lauren Blumenfeld plays the lead role as Sherry. The cast also features Amelia McClain, Rick Holden and Quinn Gasaway.

“Lauren is incredibly quirky and funny and perfectly cast in this role," Krieger says.

Tigers also features some top-notch talents behind the scenes. Mark Erbaugh, who serves as the art director for The Late Show with David Letterman, has designed the sets for the production. Krieger and Erbaugh, who are married, are accustomed to working in small spaces in New York theaters. However, they relish the luxury of operating in the larger 180-seat Studio Theatre at the Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios.

Sound man Asa Wember is attempting the most ambitious design that T2 has tried in the space, with 12 independently-controlled speakers.

“We want to surround the audience with this production,” Krieger says.

The play is rated PG-13 for occasional adult language. Tickets are available at the Walton Arts Center box office at (479) 443-5600 or online at the TheatreSquared website.