KITTY HAWK - Theatre of Dare invites audiences to step into the unexpected, darkly comedic and distinctly unconventional world of acclaimed author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. with its upcoming production of Happy Birthday, Wanda June, opening September 18 at Theatre of Dare in Kitty Hawk.

Directed by Kim Plyler, the production brings together a talented cast of familiar and new faces for Vonnegut’s sharp and irreverent exploration of heroism, masculinity, war and the challenge of moving forward when the past
unexpectedly comes knocking.
 

“Our fantastic cast has been doing a lot of hard work to bring these unique, dynamic characters to life,” Plyler said. “Kurt Vonnegut Jr. is a master satirist who wrote a wonderfully dark comedic script, and being able to see this group of actors sink their teeth into the sharp, witty dialogue of this play is an incredibly rewarding experience as a director.”

Happy Birthday, Wanda June follows Harold Ryan (Stuart Parks II), a Hemingway-styled hunter and explorer who has been presumed dead after disappearing eight years earlier during an expedition to the Amazon rainforest.

In Harold’s absence, his wife, Penelope Ryan (Alexis Leuzzi Narron), has begun rebuilding her life with their 12-year-old son, Paul (Sawyer Blanchard). She has also found companionship in two very different men: peace-loving Dr.
Norbert Woodly (Mike Blanchard) and hawkish vacuum cleaner salesman Herb Shuttle (Mike Mazza).
 

Everything changes when Harold unexpectedly returns home with his longtime sidekick, Colonel Looseleaf Harper (Benj Lipchak), expecting his old life to resume as though nothing has happened. Instead, he finds that his family — and the world around him — have changed dramatically during his eight-year absence.
 

Adding to the play’s surreal atmosphere are scenes from the afterlife, where Harold’s former wife, Mildred (Lara Parks); 10-year-old Wanda June (Sofia Chestnut); and Major Siegfried von Konigswald (Brian White), the notorious
“Beast of Yugoslavia,” reflect on life, death and even the unexpected pleasures of shuffleboard in heaven.

Best known for the groundbreaking novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Vonnegut brings his signature blend of absurdity, satire and dark humor to the stage in Happy Birthday, Wanda June. The play offers audiences plenty of laughs while prompting deeper questions about traditional ideas of heroism and masculinity, the lasting impact of war, and what happens when the past refuses to stay in the past.
 

Happy Birthday, Wanda June will take the stage at Theatre of Dare, 3848 North Croatan Highway in Kitty Hawk, on September 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.
 

The production will also include a special 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, September 19, as well as 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on September 20 and 27.
 

Individual show tickets are now on sale.