News:
Players serve up 'Red Herring'
Jessica Herbine
Media Credit: Dave Hernandez
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The War on Terror, rising tax dollar, and emission of fossil fuels do not serve as a threat in Michael Hollinger's comedic world; there, it's all about nuclear warfare, the secret inter-workings of Soviet spies, and the increasing divorce rate. Infidelity and shotgun weddings aren't the only stoppers of love and devotion in his comedy "about marriage and other explosive devices." In Hollinger's "Red Herring," which opened Feb. 25, his characters Lynn, James, Andrei ("Mr.") and Mrs. Kravitz, Maggie and Frank hardly have the time to focus on their relationships in the midst of espionage and murderous deceit.
"Red Herring" takes place in 1952 where "the hard-boiled attitudes and underworld environments" inspired Hollinger's six main characters: FBI detectives, Soviet spies and murderers, who pull their loved ones into the perilous, twisted web which connects them all. Hilarity ensues over government-issued misunderstandings and legal assumptions depicted by an ensemble of 11 very talented Drexel Players, starring Emily Kleimo, Andrew Leib, Rachel Semigran, Dmitriy Duytin, John Turnbach and Katie Lynch.
Of his characters, Hollinger said, "I'm very fond of them all, for very different reasons: Maggie's obsessive drive, Frank's utter honesty, Lynn's impulsive sexuality, James's misguided idealism, Mrs. Kravitz's no-nonsense pragmatism [and] Andrei's rueful wisdom."
The playwright likens James and Lynn - "Red Herring's" lustful and ignorantly excitable fiancées, tangled in undercover work involving the handing off of blueprints to a bomb - to himself and his wife when they were younger, calling them by the Hollingers' own middle names.
As expected, a timelessly strong relationship is difficult to upkeep, especially when one is engaged in suspicious affairs, still lawfully bound to a husband left unmentioned, or pronounced as dead, illegally taking on the name of a recently murdered man. With this fragmented image of marriage and commitment, audiences are able to "see and hear about it from all sorts of angles," the articulate author of "Red Herring" commented. "The idealistic, the cynical, the pragmatic, the romantic."
Hollinger recounts the extreme differences in his own mother's weddings, the first being the conventional '50s movie-script ceremony, resulting in an ending caused by infidelity three years later. With the second, his mother was married - in a foot cast, pregnant and with two small children - in a police station. The product of this atypical marriage was 45 faithful and happy years until his mother passed.
Hollinger draws from his mother's experiences to allow "Red Herring's" characters the freedom to grow and be humbled in trust and honesty; but only after a number of hilariously sticky circumstances and misinterpretations of withheld information.
Hollinger is a local playwright, hailing from Philadelphia where "Red Herring" was originally produced and performed at the Arden Theatre. Presently, Hollinger is working on three musicals, a full-length play, and quite a few short plays.
"Like a chef in front of a big stove, I turn up and down the heat on each project, stirring as necessary, until each comes to completion," Hollinger said.
"Red Herring" will be playing at the Mandell Theater from Feb. 26 to March 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 with student ID and $15 for the general public. Michael Hollinger will appear at a special reception following Friday night's performance.
EgoPo crafts epic 'BLUE'
Chris Sannino
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
The latest Mandell Professionals in Residence Project group was the center of attention at the Sept. 25 reception as they ignited the hype for EgoPo.
Having relocated to Philadelphia after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, EgoPo has staged over two dozen shows over their 15 years in action. Adept in translating the old into the contemporary and projecting truth through movement, this time EgoPo will produce an epic adaptation of Maurice Maeterlinks's "The Bluebird," entitled "BLUE," at Drexel with the assistance of the award-winning Orchestra 2001.
"It's going to be a huge visual piece with live music, and it's basically trying to put life back into what was considered one of the greatest plays ever written over a hundred years ago," EgoPo Founder and Artistic Director Lane Salvadove said. "When the opportunity to use the Mandell came along, I had been dreaming of doing "Bluebird" for years, and now I had a big enough state of the art place to do it in."
With a script adapted by Molly Rice, "BLUE" is a modern fairytale about two children on a journey to find "the blue bird of happiness" layered with symbolism and metaphor. The eight-piece Orchestra 2001 will collaborate with EgoPo to provide live music. Based in Swarthmore Pa., the group celebrates their 20th anniversary this year and was present at the reception.
Orchestra 2001 Artistic Director and pianist James Freeman introduced everyone to the work of Pulitzer-Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer George Crumb whose original pieces will underscore "BLUE."
One look at the featured piece, "Dream Sequence," purveyed the avant-garde nature of Crumb. Not only was the piece handwritten on one huge quad-folding spread of music, but individual parts advanced very uniquely. The separate instrument parts literally trail off into their own artistic swirls and fall into circular vamps until all meeting up for the last few lines of the song. Even the voicings were completely unconventional with various parts of the piano being played on, tuned percussive goblets, and a spacey underlying glass harmonica.
In addition to staging "BLUE," EgoPo will instruct their physical theater intensive as a class at Drexel.
The workshop known as "Viewpoints" focuses on following physical impulses in acting to obtain a greater emotional truth in performance."
"It's a way of building character through movement," Director of Mandell's Professionals in Residence Projects, Nicholas Anselmo, said. "There were so many students involved last year and there will probably be more this year."
Last year, the in residence company New Paradise Laboratories hosted their own class while producing the now Barrymore Award nominated "PROM" and the same buzz is back for EgoPo's "BLUE." The show will run for twelve performances in the Mandell Theater and opens April 25, 2009.
Drexel vision of 'Bat Boy' presents vibrant performance
Erika Hope Kennell
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"It breaks the conventions of ordinary music theatre," director Bill Pollock said, resting his casted foot on the concrete theatre floor.
As Bat Boy began, the dynamic characters and creative plot shows viewers exactly why Pollock persisted through his injury several weeks before. Seemingly oblivious to the stress from juggling four-hour long practices, classes and homework, the actors exuded a ravenous energy as they worked the stage.
"Everyone has to climb," Pollock said.
And climb they do. Actors overrun the 20-foot vertical challenge with animal-like finesse reminiscent of Broadway's Cats. Designed by Pollock himself, the versatile set is scaffolding filled with nooks and crannies making use of all available stage space that creatively molds, enhancing each act.
Not only does the dynamic dance, choreographed by Miriam Giguere, and movement onstage promise to keep overtired parents awake, but the unique plot keeps ears on point. Bat Boy, played by Steve Pribis, is conceived through a lab mistake. His tormented parents, flooded by pain and embarrassment, try to hide their past and move on, abandoning their son to the wilderness in the process.
However Bat Boy, raised by his "real fathers," the bats, survives only to be discovered later on. Found by the charmingly mischievous Taylor children, Ruthie, played by Emily Kleimo, Rick, played by Jonah Delso, and Ron, played by Jules Victor, Bat Boy bites Ruthie and promptly is bagged and taken into town. The townspeople deliver Bat Boy to their vet Thomas Parker, played by Dave Roy, whose family falls in love with the uncivilized creature.
Heralding him Edgar, Mrs. Parker, played by Melinda Glass, does her best to teach Bat Boy proper etiquette and he excels to the level of a genius. Rupert, engaging in a dynamic and powerful conflict between carnal instinct and civilized self, tries to move beyond his past, even falling in love in the process. However, he is still shunned by the townspeople. As Rupert tries to redeem himself, the plot swells around gore, beauty, love, hate, dance, song and seduction.
Danielle Kindt, stage manager and president of the Drexel Players, said, "It's about accepting people, you know?"
The plot enhances the unique musical numbers, which incorporate a twist of favorite genres and diverse melodies. The performers' strong voices and beautiful harmony, combined with dynamic dance and dramatic lighting, create pieces of heart-swelling enjoyment.
With such vibrant acting, an enchanting plot, and morally enforcing message, one would be less than unintelligent not to buy tickets. Show times are Nov. 16 and 17 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. in Mandell Theatre. Students can buy tickets beforehand by calling 215-895-ARTS, or at the door. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for all others.
This performance is one of passion and edgy entertainment, which promises to entrance and captivate.
Experience 'PROM'... without the corsage and embarrassing poses
Alysson Cwyk
Issue date: 5/9/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Media Credit: Courtesy of Westphal College
My senior high school "PROM" was such a thrilling event: the fancy dress, uncomfortable shoes, smelly corsage, bumpy limo ride, embarrassing poses, bad food, irritating music and plenty of characters. But aside from all of the annoyances, it was a night that I will never forget.
"PROM," the newest production from New Paradise Laboratories, is not a traditional play-it's an experience, just like my special night from high school. As a part of the Mandell Professionals in Residence Project, "PROM" has been gracing the stage of Drexel's Mandell Theatre since May 1 and will continue through May 11.
As I walked into Mandell, I didn't know what to expect. Ushers clad in dresses and tuxedos tore my ticket stub. Caution tape was fastened to chairs. Looking onto the stage, a green astro-turf football field ran diagonally through the platform. Chairs for audience members were set up on the sidelines of the field. Gigantic balloons hung from the ceiling. A large, steel pyramid graced the center of the stage and underneath drifted some lights. Old "PROM" photographs were projected onto a screen toward the back of the set. I became jittery as I sat down in my seat.
Chaperones, partiers and referees brought me back a few years to grades nine through 12. As the actors, who consisted of students and professional performers, took the stage, witty remarks started to fly. Their energies were projected into the audience. I was able to place faces from high school with character personalities acted before me. As the dances commenced, I recalled the always-awkward first fast song, where everyone stood away from the dance floor until one brave soul was willing to start moving. "PROM" is more than just a performance; it really is an experience.
Aside from involving undergraduates in the actual production, two Drexel students, Jessica Rosenzweig and Bob Wuss, worked as marketing interns for New Paradise Laboratories during the process. In order to bring in a large audience, including people outside of the immediate University community, Wuss said they used different non-traditional marketing strategies.
"We made little magnetic LED light 'throwies.' ... We constructed 1,500 of them and went to Old City and threw the 'throwies' everywhere," Wuss said. "We had a spot in the Inquirer, and people started responding because they mentioned 'PROM'. We had a whole Facebook team and all the cast members would change their profile pictures at certain times. We even developed a person [on Facebook] as 'PROM'.
"PROM" really was like no performance I have ever witnessed before, and I recommend checking it out before it leaves the Mandell Theatre. Four more shows will be taking place before the final performance: May 9 at 8 p.m.; May 10 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and May 11 at 3 p.m.
Just as the narrator claimed, "At 'PROM', you experience the last party of your childhood." So why not live through it one more time?
Prom
by Mark Cofta
Published: Apr 22, 2008
 Fringe Festival faves New Paradise Laboratories showed no Philly love for Prom, which premièred to great acclaim way out in Minneapolis in 2004, but they're finally making up for it by remounting what artistic director Whit MacLaughlin terms "a work of fake anthropology for young adults" with Drexel University's Mandell Professionals in Residence Project. A comic take on that bloated high school rite of passage — staged as a sporting event, students vs. chaperones! — expect Prom to be as physical, sensual, musical and mysterious as NPL hits Batch: An American Bachelorette Party Spectacle and The Fab Four Reach the Pearly Gates.
April 30-May 11, New Paradise Laboratories, Mandell Theater, Drexel University, 3300 Chestnut St., 215-923-0334, newparadiselaboratories.org.
Theater Exile’s Bug and New Paradise Laboratories’ Prom
by J. Cooper Robb
Theatre Exile concludes its season with an assured production of Tracy Letts’ electrifying psycho-thriller Bug.
America’s most exciting playwright—whose catalog includes the shamelessly entertaining Killer Joe (which Exile staged with considerable success in 2006) and the recent Pulitzer Prize-winner August: Osage County—brings us Bug, the dramatic equivalent of a five-alarm fire, both terrifying and impossible not to watch.
The story takes place in a trashy motel room that serves as the permanent residence for Aggie (Grace Gonglewski in a harrowing performance), a vodka-swilling, cocaine-smoking divorcee with a good-for-nothing ex-husband (a smarmy William Zielinski), a lesbian gal pal (the excellent Charlotte Northeast) and a child whom Aggie believes was mysteriously abducted from a supermarket. Living in the barren room with Aggie is Peter (an intensely skittish Matt Saunders). Handsome and sensitive, Peter is the sole bright spot in Aggie’s sad life. But like Aggie, Peter is dogged by his past, particularly a stint in a military hospital where Peter insists doctors conducted bizarre experiments on his body.
Without giving too much away, suffice to say these experiments involved bugs—lots of bugs. “People try and control you, get you to act a certain way,” Peter tells Aggie. After initial reluctance, she begins to buy into his belief that the U.S. government is following his every move.
Director Matt Pfeiffer allows the tension to build slowly until a general sense of unease hangs over the first act, generated in no small part by Aggie’s unsavory ex-hubby Jerry. We may be skeptical that, as Peter asserts, the motel room has been overrun by tiny blood-sucking aphids, but Jerry is a bug we can see, and like Peter’s invisible insects, he’s impossible to get rid of.
The real fear of course comes from what we don’t see. Not that what’s visible is exactly sunny. Harmless devices like telephones and smoke detectors suddenly become objects of terror. And Bug’s heart-stopping second act is filled with graphic acts of self-mutilation including a gory at-home tooth extraction that leaves you cringing in your seat.
Although penned by Letts in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, Peter’s fear of governmental surveillance strikes a chord today. In an America where emails are mined for information and video cameras monitor our every move, Bug is perhaps even more disturbing in 2008 than in its debut a decade ago.
An unusual love story about individuals on the fringes of society, Letts paints a portrait of a nation being attacked from within. And while Bug’s blazing conclusion isn’t exactly uplifting, it is tender and strangely hopeful. When no one can be trusted, Peter and Aggie have at least each found another human being to believe in.
The Pursuit of Happiness
By: J. Cooper Robb · May 2008
Bill Irwin
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
One of the most eagerly awaited world premieres of the season opens this month when the Philadelphia Theatre Company stages the debut of Tony Award winner Bill Irwin's The Happiness Lecture (May 16-June 15). Conceived, directed and starring Irwin, Lecture concerns a group of adventurers who embark on a journey in pursuit of happiness.
The Walnut Street Theatre concludes its 199th year with one of the 20th century's biggest and best loved musicals Les Miserables (May 13-August 1). Reportedly one of the first self-producing theaters chosen by Les Miz producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a new concept for the 1985 musical, director Mark Clements' production stars Broadway vet Hugh Panaro as Jean Valjean and Walnut favorite Paul Schoeffler as Valjean's dogged pursuer Inspector Javert.
Speaking of musicals, this May the Cadillac Broadway Series offers two award winning shows bound to satisfy any fan. Taking the stage May 2-4 at the Academy of Music is the irreverent hit Hairspray, a high-energy tale about a full-bodied girl who becomes an overnight celebrity. May 9-11, the Academy hosts the legendary musical Gypsy. Set during the heyday of vaudeville and burlesque, Gypsy features a wondrous score from Jule Styne (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) including the classics "Everything's Come up Roses" and "Some People."
Fans of experimental theater will rejoice when the long-awaited Philly premiere of New Paradise Laboratories' 2004 work Prom (May 1-11) makes its' local debut at Drexel University's Mandell Theater. The first installment in NPL's "American Ethnographies" trilogy, Prom employs dance and athletics to recall this memorable teenage rite of passage.
The Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its' season with a revival of Jerry Herman's 1969 musical Dear World (thru May 18). A musical fable about the dangers of greed, World is a rarely-seen gem from the composer of Mame and Hello Dolly.
The Wilma Theater -- who scored a hit in 2005 with Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House -- now stages the playwright's highly-acclaimed Eurydice (thru June 1), directed by Blanka Zizka. An original retelling of the myth of Orpheus, the play is a magical exploration of the divide between life and death. Featuring an original score by composer Toby Twining, the Wilma's surreal production promises to be one of the month's most visually-dazzling offerings.
The Arden Theatre Company concludes its 20th anniversary season with an unconventional staging of Thornton Wilder's masterpiece Our Town (May 22-June 22). The first act of director Terrence J. Nolen's production takes place at the Arden's Haas Stage. During intermission the show moves next door to historic Christ Church, which houses the second half of Wilder's classic look at life in small town America.
Flashpoint Theatre Company takes on the reality TV craze with the company's production of Eric Coble's The Dead Guy (May 14-31), which focuses on America's seemingly boundless interest in the so-called reality of others.
This month is the perfect opportunity to introduce youngsters to the joy of theater when Penn Presents hosts the 24th annual Philadelphia International Children's Festival, May 7-9. This year's festival includes the hip-hop inspired poetry of the Mayhem Poets and the Mamadou Diabate Ensemble, a highly-theatrical troupe that brings to life the diverse cultural history of West Africa.
Players present 'Blood Brothers'
Erica Hope
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Media Credit: Caitlin Youngster
"Shoes upon the table and a spider's been killed" speaks a foreboding voice as two women decide the fate of two unborn boys. Blood Bothers steps onto the Drexel stage Nov. 20-23 at Mandell Theater to explore the relationship between superstition and reality.
Director Nick Anselmo calls "Blood Brothers" a story of "two people totally equal" whom are tossed into different worlds. With conflicting stress on both class and fate, one sees the rifts placed between those who would just be "brothers" in other circumstance.
In Picture: Emily Kleimo, Matthew Flocco,
Michael Long, Lee Singletary
The twin boys are separated to live opposite lives. The prominence of this conflict is emphasized by other members of the cast as the very vocal Grecian Chorus play both the roles of society and community, to provide constant pressure on the characters. Therefore it is they who highlight the power of influence in relationships and life.
While the 10 member chorus provides a flurry of activity on the stage, the cast is still quite small and only exhibits five main characters. You may have seen their pictures on the posters around campus.
Melinda Glass exquisitely plays the sweet and hard-working twins' mother, Mrs. Johnston. However, the twins as well, Mickey Johnstone and Eddie Lyons, Matt Flocco and Mike Long respectively, are dynamic and talented. Flocco and Long reveal the twists of life as we follow their character's journey from the crib to the bittersweet moments of their life-bonding friendship through adulthood. Mrs. and Mr. Lyons (Jennifer Ickovicks and Jeremy Toll), the family that adopts the little Eddie and from there the story unfolds as we see the lengths a woman will go to for her own child.
The words of Chali Cook, member of the ensemble, ring most true when speaking of the members and their many roles.
"It's more intimate this way. With a small cast, people are making sure you portray that mood. You have to connect to the scene in a different way" Cook commented.
The music is particularly bittersweet with hints of a violin and soulful jazz highlighting the most sentimental parts. With such depth, I needed to let this one sit a bit on the stomach. The music is what stood out to me particularly as it really complimented the story line.
"While many musicals are about the music, this one is about the story and I think that makes it really special," Anselmo said. As I listened to the flawless harmony and sat suspended over the chorus' swell of voices, I couldn't help but agree.
The Drexel Players have spent hours on "Blood Brothers," balancing classes, rehearsals and life.
"It's definitely been hard, but it's been a good time," Flocco claimed.
This thought provoking performance runs through Nov. 23. The performance Nov. 21 starts at 8 p.m. while Nov. 22 houses two shows, one matinee at 2 p.m. and an evening show at 8 p.m. Nov. 23 is the last day to see "Blood Brothers" and the matinee will take place at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 with a Drexel I.D. and are available at the box office in Mandell on the day of the show, as well as by phone, 215-895-ARTS.
'Rocky Horror' brings tranny fun to Drexel
Dave Goncalves
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Having made its original debut in the United Kingdom back in 1973, The Rocky Horror Show quickly rose in popularity as one of the biggest cult phenomena. Having become a blockbuster film since, the production still makes its run on stage in several venues. It now comes to Drexel University, where it started its run Feb. 22.
The show, which revolves around a couple that gets stranded with a group of very eccentric transvestites, takes a wild trip through dementia. An amalgamation of horror, musical, sci-fi and comedy, The Rocky Horror Show explores sexual identity and moral boundaries. The characters engage in violent and suggestive acts while undergoing acts of cannibalism, murder and experimental surgery reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Presenting these concepts in a wild comical and musical form, The Rocky Horror Show allows for absurd amounts of interaction between the performers and the audience.
The production brings the audience into the play through physical interaction; for example, the cast will squirt water onto the audience. They also bring the audience into the raunchy sexfest by having the dancers scout out into the crowd for audience members tagged with a red "V" on their hand. The "V" is the marker that separates the Rocky Horror virgins from the veterans. For some, this interaction allows for the audience to enjoy the show more.
"I hadn't ever seen The Rocky Horror Show before, and I'm glad I lost my virginity to it," said Leanne Kissinger, one of the many audience members of Feb. 23 showing.
The show is being put on in the Mandell Theater, 33rd & Chestnut sts., by The Drexel Players, a part of the Department of Performing Arts and the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. The Rocky Horror Show opened Feb. 22 and will be playing March 2 at midnight and March 3 at 8 p.m.
One More Stop for the Sweet, Sexy Transvestite; The Drexel Players Bring The Rocky Horror Show to the Stage this Winter!
For Immediate Release: February 20, 2007
Media Contact: Zeek Weil, Drexel University's Theatre Program, 215.895.2787
Hot on the heels of a successful fall production of The Laramie Project, the Drexel Players present The Rocky Horror Show this winter. Sweethearts Brad and Janet are lost once again and before they can make it back home they’ll make one last stop at the Mandell Theater. It’s time to fish out those fishnets, cinch up your corset and sharpen those stilettos for the rockiest ride of your life.
The performances will be held in the Mandell Theater, 33rd & Chestnut Sts., Drexel University. The performances take place, Thursdays, February 22nd and March 1st at 8PM, Fridays, February 23rd and March 2nd at midnight, and Saturdays, February 24th and March 3rd at 8PM.
The world famous musical will have all the rock-n-roll fanfare associated with this performance since it debuted in London in 1973. And true to Richard O’Brien’s original script, the performance will be awash in the science fiction and fantasy that made it a global hit. Make sure you don’t get lost; Frank-N-Furter will be right around the corner.
The Drexel Players are part of the Department of Performing Arts and the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. First time Drexel Director Brandon McShaffrey also choreographed the entire performance. During each night participation bags will be on sale for the audience to use during the performance. Get ready for a night of fun, frolic and frivolity; this is the boldest bash of all!
The performance will cost $5 for all students and $10 for the general public. Group rate tickets are available for groups of ten or more people. Please email Bill Pollock for more information regarding the group rate at bill.pollock@drexel.edu. For more information, including ticket reservations, call 215-895-ARTS (2787). Please visit our Web site to learn more about the Department of Performing Arts and the Theater Program.
'Laramie' looks to raise awareness
By: Dave Goncalves
Media Credit: Dave Hernandez
Media Credit: Pete Croteau
Issue date: 11/10/06 Section: Entertainment
Originally published: 11/10/06 at 4:16 AM EST
Last update: 11/10/06 at 4:16 AM EST
On Oct. 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally attacked and beaten just outside of Laramie, Wyo. The reason for Shepard's assault was that he was a homosexual.
After the beating, the Tectonic Theatre Project went to Wyoming to conduct a series of more than two hundred interviews within the Laramie community and produced a play shortly after. The production they made was The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman. The production has found its way to many different theatres, ranging from Tectonic's own New York theatre to grade-school-based productions. It now found its way to Drexel's Mandell Theatre.
The decision to bring the production to Drexel was by Drexel's performing arts community. Nick Anselmo, professor of performing arts and director, feels very strongly and supportive about this decision. The production touches on topics that seem very synonymous with current events and prominent feelings of hate.
"If you allow hate to grow, it can do anything," Anselmo said. He uses this as a strong driving force in how he directs the show and what he wants portrayed within the production. Anselmo believes that a community sometimes looks at acts of hate with blind eyes, overlooking them. Anselmo hopes his production will raise awareness.
"We have to give back to the community," he said. "Especially as artists."
Anselmo has been working hard with the help of FUSE (Foundation of Undergraduates for Sexual Equality) and The Drexel Players. The Drexel Players are a rag-tag group from all different backgrounds, due to the lack of a dedicated theatre department at Drexel. The diversity of the casts' background allows for many different viewpoints and interpretation of The Laramie Project's script and characters.
Such diversity within the cast creates a challenge for Anselmo in directing the production. He has a great opportunity as an instructor while allowing him to continue his role as director. One of his main goals as a director is to create the idea of a cast that works well as an ensemble and to create a sense of community.
The purpose of The Laramie Project is to raise awareness of the hate within the community.
"I like contemporary and edgy characters and material," Anselmo said. "Contemporary stuff seems more socially relevant."
Although the events of The Laramie Project all happened almost a decade ago, the issues attached to it are current and ongoing issues.
"When you belittle or demean a life, you become numb to these things," he explains. "When you call someone a fag or a lez or a dyke, that's the seed of violence."
The AIDS Fund Philly will aid The Laramie's Project's in raising awareness of the issues raised in the play. The production will donate all of its ticket proceeds from the Nov. 18 show to the fund. It should help make people aware of their existence within a larger community and how they can help to assist in making the community aware of hate.
The Laramie Project will run Nov. 16-19.
Drexel University to stage The Laramie Project
For Immediate Release: October 16, 2006
Media Contact: Zeek Weil, Drexel University Theater Program, 215.895.1275
Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design and the Department of Performing Arts Drexel Players present The Laramie Project. The performance will run Thursday through Saturday, November 16-18, at 8:00PM. There will also be a matinee performance Sunday, November 19, at 2:00PM. All performances will be held at the Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Drexel University.
In October 1998 Matthew Shepard, a twenty-one-year-old student, was severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming, because he was gay. Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made several trips to Laramie in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town and constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences. The Laramie Project is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink, and the heights of compassion we are also capable of. The show will be directed by Drexel Faculty member Nick Anselmo.
The Drexel Players and the Department of Performing Arts have partnered with AIDS Fund Philadelphia on this important project. A team of faculty, staff and students, including the cast and crew of The Laramie Project, participated in AIDS Walk Philly on October 15, 2006 and raised a total of $1000.00 for the organization. In addition, all proceeds from a special benefit performance of The Laramie Project at 8pm on Saturday, November 18, will be donated to Philly AIDS Fund. Philly AIDS Fund supports HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and services in the Delaware Valley Region by raising dollars and increasing public awareness about the impact of HIV on our communities.
The cost of the performance is $10 for the general public, $5 for ALL students and Drexel community members (valid ID required). If you are interested in a group rate, you must have a minimum of 10 people. The group rate will save participants $3 per ticket ($7 general public, $3 students). Please appoint a group leader to purchase and pick up the tickets from the box office. For more information regarding group tickets send an email to Bill Pollock at: Bill.Pollock@drexel.edu.
For more information contact the Department of Performing Arts at 215-895-ARTS (2787) or visit www.drexel.edu/westphal.
Performance Schedule:
Thursday, November 16 at 8pm
Friday, November 17 at 8pm
Saturday, November 18 at 8pm (AIDS Fund benefit performance)
Sunday, November 19 at 2pm
All performances will be held at the Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Drexel University.
The Department of Performing Arts at Drexel University exists to enhance the cultural literacy of all Drexel students by providing them with opportunities to study, create, perform, manage and experience dance, music, and theatre.
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