All About Eve Launches Season 6 for ECU SCREENS

Lily James and Gillian Anderson in All About Eve

ECU SCREENS launches its sixth season with All About Eve on Tuesday, September 3rd at 6:30 PM in the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center. The recorded live performance is open to the public, and tickets are $10 for community members. ECU students receive free admission, sponsored by ECU SCREENS.

All About Eve offers a timeless glimpse into our fascination with celebrity, youth and identity. At the center of the action is Margo Channing, a legendary theatre star, and her relationship with Eve, an aspiring actress and Margo’s biggest fan.

Internationally renowned director Ivo van Hove’s production stars Gillian Anderson (X-Files, NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) and Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again). London theatre critics report that Anderson “delivers and acting masterclass” (Financial Times) that “combines irresistible allure and drop-dead wit” (Independent).

Originally authored by Mary Orr, the female-led story has been re-told in multiple formats since its publication in short story form as “The Wisdom of Eve” in a 1946 issue of Cosmopolitan. Orr adapted the story for radio for a 1949 broadcast, which led to a 1950 film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The film produced a record four Academy Award nominations for its lead and supporting actresses, including featured star Bette Davis, who uttered the now iconic cinematic warning: “Fasten your seatbelts: it’s going to be a bumpy night.” The story also served as inspiration for the 1970 musical Applause and a 2008 episode of The Simpsons titled “All About Lisa.”

The runtime is 2 hours with no interval. The production has a BBFC rating of 15, as the play contains strong language. National Theatre Live is the National Theatre's groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre to cinemas around the world. ECU SCREENS will continue its season with National Theatre Live productions of William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra on Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30 PM, starring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo, and David Hare’s explosive new political drama I’m Not Running on Tuesday, November 5th at 2:00 PM.

To learn more about ECU SCREENS, like the ECU SCREENS Facebook page. For more information about the Royal National Theatre in Great Britain and the NT Live screenings, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/. Dr. Steve Benton, co-director of ECU SCREENS, may be contacted at (580) 559-5877 or sbenton@ecok.edu.