A prominent Alabama theater company is debuting a new one-woman show by a Mobile playwright. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery is hosting the world-premiere of “Zelda in the Backyard.”
The performance is about a woman named Libby who reassembles a Rolls Royce that her father left behind. She names the car “Zelda” in honor of famous novelist Zelda Fitzgerald who has roots in Montgomery.
Alabama native Elizabeth Gregory Wilder is the playwright for “Zelda in the Backyard.” She said her play is symbolic of her own life and serves as a beacon of hope for those feeling lost.
“At the start of the play, her life is a little bit of a mess,” Wilder said. “She's sort of figuring out what she's going to do with this car but also what she's going to do with her life. We get to see that journey. It's a play about love and loss and marriage and acceptance, but at its heart it's, it's really a play about restoration.”
Though her story is autobiographical to a degree, Wilder said there is something for everyone.
“This is the kind of play that you can go and see and find something in the story that you can relate to no matter who you are, no matter what your background is,” Wilder said. “It's a very Southern story, but it's really a very human story. It's the kind of play that will make you laugh and break your heart all at the same time, and I think that that's the hallmark of a really great piece of theater.”
This story serves to do more than just entertain. Wilder said her play is of a greater benefit as her work is meant to inspire the next generation of thespians.
“It’s through regional theater the kids fall in love with the theater,” Wilder said. “We wouldn't have Broadway if we didn't have local regional theater. At a time when so many school systems are cutting their arts programming, this is just a really wonderful opportunity to support the arts and support new work.”
Other works by Wilder include Gee's Bend, Fresh Kills, The Flagmaker of Market Street, The Furniture of Home, White Lightning, Provenance, and Everything That’s Beautiful.
Showings of “Zelda in the Backyard” continue at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival through June 30. More information on the play can be found here.
