NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (JUNE 1, 2018) –– “Days of Our Lives” television star and national recording artist Steve Blackwood will appear with award-winning actress Ashley Risteen on June 16 in Oleanna for a one-night-only staged reading. Local band The Strays will open the show, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Belleville Church, 300 High St., in Newburyport. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to the church’s fund to restore its unique Stevens organ.

Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet during the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings era, Oleanna dramatizes the power struggle that ensues between a university professor and a female student, who accuses him of sexual harassment.

“Oleanna’s power to provoke and shock has only intensified in the wake of #MeToo and the Time’s Up movements,” says Blackwood, who also directs the performance.

Tickets are $20 at the door, or $15 in advance. Please contact ksblackwood43@gmail.com for more information.