Former Frogs, students play in the dark
By Becky Brandenburg
Staff Reporter

The ugliest woman in the world will grace the stage of TCU Studio Theatre for the final weekend of the summer season.

Amphibian Productions, composed mainly of graduates and current students, introduced the life of Julia Pastrana to the Fort Worth community in August.

The final weekend production of “The True History of the Tragic Life and Triumphant Death of Julia Pastrana, The Ugliest Woman in the World” ends the U.S. premiere of the play by Shaun Prendergast.

The play is based on a real Mexican-Indian woman of the mid-1800’s. As she takes her place as a sideshow attraction for a traveling carnival the audience takes on a voyuerist role with the other characters — almost entirely in complete darkness.

Kathleen Anderson Milne, the play’s producer, said the entire space for the experience is only 22 feet by 48 feet and will be reproduced identically when the play is presented in New York City in October.

According to the playwright’s Web site, Prendergast is an award-winning actor/writer whose written works include “The Firefawn Trilogy,” “A Fine and Private Place” and “Distinguished Service.”

Milne, a TCU graduate and instructor, said she is a founding member and artistic director of the four-year-old company. She said she saw the play in London and knew it was a piece to challenge the Amphibians. The 55-minute play requires tremendous stamina, perfect timing and concentration, she said.

Milne said they are proud of their connection to TCU.

“We take every opportunity to share that we are a product of TCU and hope that we reflect that in our performance — that attention to detail,” Milne said.

According the the Amphibian Productions Web site, 21 of the 27 actors, technicians and staff of Amphibian Productions are TCU graduates and two are current students.

“In the beginning, we were just people who enjoyed working together and shared a vision. We’d like to be like the Steppenwolf Theatre Company of Chicago, a theater as respected as New York or London theater,” Milne said.

Milne said she believes Fort Worth has the potential to draw national theater lovers.

“I would really like to see the community of Fort Worth embrace theater in the same way they embrace the Kimbell (Art Museum) and Bass Hall,” Milne said.

Friday and Saturday performances for “Julia Pastrana” begin at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinee starts at 2 p.m.