The Velocity of Autumn by Eric Coble, the engaging “dramedy” of an aging woman desperately fighting to keep her independence, opens at Matrix Theatre Friday, November 20 and runs through Sunday, December 13, 2015. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. All productions are presented at Matrix Theatre Company, located at 2730 Bagley in the heart of Detroit’s Mexicantown. Ticket prices range from $15 to $20. Group rates are available for most shows. For further information or to order tickets, go to  www.matrixtheatre.org, or call 313 967 0599.

Directed by David Wolber, Coble’s play opens on 79-year-old Alexandra, who determined to continue living life on her own terms, has barricaded herself in her Brooklyn apartment, having surrounded herself with dozens of homemade
Molotov cocktails. Her son and daughter, after failing to convince her it’s time to leave her home, finally engage the help of Chris, their gay estranged artist brother to help in the attempt. He becomes an unlikely mediator and attempts to save not only his mother’s life but his own in this wickedly funny and achingly poignant play which exposes the fragility and
ferocity of life.

“This play describes the frustrations of realizing that the body and mind are gradually losing their resilience, and that the greatest loss is the sense of individuality,” said artistic director Megan Buckley-Ball. “It depicts the ravages of getting older.”

The Velocity of Autumn features Jane McFarlane from Pleasant Ridge as Alexandra and Chris Korte of Ferndale as Chris. This marks Wolber’s second directorial project with Matrix Theatre this season.