Mission:
To stretch the boundaries of theater; to explore the inter-arts 

and to give sound to the voices of women and diversity.

Productions
The majority of the plays have been written and directed by artistic director, Karyn Traut. For a full list see Productions.

Currently Saturday's Children, a film of the play by Karyn Traut, about characters in the year 1988 arguing about the life and legacy of Thomas Jefferson, is completed and ready to reach the public. (See Jefferson Film)

Kindred Spirit Plays  In addition, several plays, created by other writers, have been produced by Perihelion. For a full list see Productions. We are proud to have produced Blue Opal, by Jaki Shelton Green, currently North Carolina Poet Laureate.

Videos In 1993 the play ALLIGATOR AND ELLIS was given a professional video production, and then shown on UNC-TV, the NC PBS affiliate, throughout North Carolina.
Perihelion Theater Company, Ltd. is a non-profit, 501-C-3 fully tax exempt organization. A non-profit, professional theater company, Perihelion began producing plays in 1987 under the name Eccentric Circles Theater Co. of North Carolina. In 1989 the company formed officially under the name Perihelion Theater Co. Ltd. and received full tax exempt status in 1992. (See: "About Perihelion") Many of the Plays have been produced in different venues of North Carolina. Two productions have been presented in off-off-Broadway spaces in New York City. One play that toured North Carolina was later taped for television and presented on UNC-TV, North Carolina's statewide PBS affiliate station. Two plays have been presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.


"Home of the healing play" ...  Spectator Magazine 1998


Regarding Healing Theater
When I was teaching in the Department of Social Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my students and I researched cultures that used art as part of the healing process. The Hopi, I learned, believed that if an individual was ill, it was a result of an illness in the community as a whole. Theater was their means of healing the community and through it, the afflicted individual.
Aristotle wrote of the catharsis which theater allowed. To heal a wound, we must probe it. Once probed, we must not be afraid to aerate it with laughter or tears. From the beginning of my own work in theater I had felt it was necessary to go to the core of problems and not skirt around with diversions. It was remarkable for me to learn that the Hopi not only knew the group healing power of theater, but had been practicing it for centuries. 

...Karyn Traut, artistic director.


Financial Contributions
A critical feature of the cinema production of Saturday's Children was that all costs were paid by donations to Perihelion from individuals.  

Frequently Asked Questions
Do you accept unsolicited manuscripts? No.

Do you have open auditions? 
Sometimes.

How do I get involved? 
If you've read everything on the website and think this is a company with which you'd like to work, send a query letter to the address below.

Are contributions tax deductible? 
Yes.

How To Contact Perihelion


• Write To
Perihelion Theater Company
PO Box 208
Chapel Hill, NC 27514