The Tin Woman, by playwright Sean Grennan, is currently being staged at Wimberley Playhouse. The play centers around a woman who’s received a heart transplant and who is currently going through a bit of an existential crisis. And, according to Wimberley Players executive manager Simone Corprew, despite the heavy subject matter, it’s really funny.
“One of my favorite things about Sean Grennan … is that he butts drama right up beside comedy,” Corprew says. “So he tackles things that are hard and makes them … a little bit more lighthearted. And he definitely does it with this show.”
In The Tin Woman, Joy, the recent heart transplant recipient, meets the family of her donor.
“And it’s kind of about how she’s healing through the process and how they’re healing through the process,” Corprew says. “And just kind of about organ donation and the good that it does.”
Inspired by the subject matter, Corprew decided to reach out to the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance about a partnership. The alliance was there for opening night (which coincidentally fell on Feb. 14, National Organ Donation Day) and answered audience questions before and after the show. They also came to a rehearsal to talk with the cast and crew about organ donation.
“It’s a really unique thing, right? It’s not something everybody experiences, having a family member donate organs. So we wanted to find a way to talk to the cast about what it really is,” Corprew says. “They actually came [to rehearsal] with a local woman from Wimberley whose son passed away and was able to save some lives with his organs, and talked to the cast about what the process is, how it really feels to be in that situation, and it was really beautiful.”
“It was beautiful,” agrees The Tin Woman Director Tracy Arnold. “The cast really appreciated it. I think it was great for me to hear her and see her.”
Arnold and Corprew say they’re hoping that audiences will enjoy a nice night out at the theater and also think more about organ donation.
“I hope they will see how important this process is, or can be,” Arnold says. “It could potentially help so many people.”
'The Tin Woman' runs through March 8 at Wimberley Playhouse.
