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THEATER Next Stage Repertory presents 'Educating Rita' at the Craterian Theater Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 25, 2015 at 9:00 AM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 25, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Social News With a good story and a couple of talented actors, Next Stage Repertory Company is at its best, and "Educating Rita," a comedy by British playwright Willy Russell, makes this connection. The play follows the relationship between a young, working-class hairdresser who calls herself Rita — her name is really Susan — who is dissatisfied with the routine of her work and social life and seeks inner growth by registering for English literature classes at an open university. There, she meets middle-aged alcoholic Frank, a lecturer who has begrudgingly taken on Rita's tutelage. Actors Stephanie Jones and Will Churchill play Rita and Frank in the Next Stage production of "Educating Rita." Doug Warner directs. "I'm always looking for plays with a lot of layers, something that can give audiences something to take away with them that will change their lives," Warner says. "With this story, we spent six weeks fleshing out the aspects of the play. The fact that it was written by an English playwright about English characters dictated where the rehearsals would take us." Next Stage's performances of "Educating Rita" will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 26-28, at the Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at the box office, 16 S. Bartlett St., online at craterian.org or by calling 541-779-3000. "It's a comedy with underlying drama," Warner says. "Rita is growing up in Northern England, a member of the lower class, and there are limits to how big her world is going to be. There also are expectations of her. Her parents and her husband expect her to have children, cook the meals and take care of them. She's stuck in a family pattern of leaving work on Fridays, going down to the local pub to tip some pints and sing songs, and returning to work Monday mornings." Stepping out of her class, Rita brings layers of fear and excitement to the play. From the moment she enters Frank's office, she is engaging, charismatic, outrageous and fun. Deep down inside, Frank is smitten with these characteristics because he's grown older, jaded and lost his faith in the university's education system. "So here you have the male and female thing, the lower- and upper-class thing, and the educated and uneducated thing," Warner says. "Frank came from a privileged family that could afford a higher education for him, and those are the circles he moves in." Rita lets Frank know that she is interested only in learning, and she begins reading the classics. As Frank becomes aware that she will move out from under his tutelage and stand on her own academically, he is afraid she will be affected. Her working-class accent even changes a bit throughout the play. "With each scene, Rita of course begins to change," Warner says. "She becomes thoughtful and independent. Meanwhile Frank is drinking even more and getting into trouble with the university's faculty. There are laughs and there are pivotal dramatic points. "Just like any good play, each character has a valid point of view, and the two begin to educate each other about their particular lifestyles. Each has had a skewed perspective of the others. The rich can romanticize being poor, and the poor have the idea that rich people are happy with their wealth and education." Ultimately, the pair form an unlikely bond that alters their lives. In 1983, Russell adapted his script for a film starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters, directed by Lewis Gilbert. In 2009, Russell again adapted the script for a radio play starring Bill Nighy and Laura Dos Santos, directed by Kirsty Williams. By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 25, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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