November 4, 2011 -- Pensacola, Fla – It is not unusual for a mother and daughter to stay home on a Saturday night, spending time with each other, getting a manicure, and chatting.  But something is different about this night.

At the beginning, the daughter makes an off-handed, yet surprising, announcement that becomes the driving force behind Marsha Norman’s powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play. “night, Mother” is a revealing look at the lives of two women, a mother and a daughter, who live together but know virtually nothing about each other.

The daughter, Jessie, played by Allison Winschief, is a 30-something divorcee who finds herself with a life full of failure. Epilepsy has kept Jessie hidden away, unable to hold a job or conduct a social life of any kind. And if that weren’t enough, Jessie’s drug-addicted son has turned to a life of crime and Jessie has given up hope for his future. In fact, Jessie has given up hope, period.

“I read this show several years ago and it struck a chord with me,” says Winschief, who will play Jessie. “I identified with Jessie. I felt her agony. I wept for her. So, when I was offered this role, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. Jessie is a unique opportunity to explore the mind of desperation, and to deal with my own demons in that area.”

Diane Queen plays Thelma, the mother, who is none too successful at life either. Her marriage to Jessie’s father was loveless and Thelma keeps few friends. The only thing she has left in her life is this house and Jessie, but these things, too, are about to be endangered.

What is a mother to do when her very reason for living is in jeopardy?What ensues is a scene of intense intrigue during which family secrets are revealed, old wounds are opened, and the possibilities of what could have been are examined. Yet, the past of these women is not nearly as pressing as what will be. What does the future hold for Thelma and Jessie?

You may find yourself surprised...“night, Mother“ will be performed Friday-Sunday, Nov. 11-13 and 18-20. The Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 and the Sunday Matinees begin at 2 p.m. Theatre West is Pensacola’s newest Community Theatre and is located in West Pensacola at 9732 Sidney Road, Pensacola, FL 32507, just off South Blue Angel Parkway.

Tickets are $15 and all seating is general admission. Reservations are highly suggested and may be made by calling the box office at 850-912-4087 or by emailing reservations@sanctuarytheatrewest.com