Theatre Studies Presents “Cloud Nine” April 4-5, 10-12
Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine closes the 2007-2008 main-stage theatre season with performances April 4-5 and 10-12 at 8 p.m. in Sternberger Auditorium, located in Founders Hall. The production is directed by department chair and Professor of Theatre Studies Jack Zerbe.
Churchill’s controversial play is celebrated for its thought-provoking and hilarious attack on stereotypes of gender, race and sexuality over a period of 100 years. The first act, set in an African outpost of the British Empire, explores the relationship between colonialism, sexual repression and race. The company of seven actors uses doubling and some cross-gender casting to highlight the characters’ struggle to fit traditional societal roles. Act Two explores the movement towards tolerance and acceptance of difference as the characters begin to claim their identities in London of 1979.
Cloud Nine evolved from a workshop on sexual politics with the Joint Stock Theatre Group in 1978. While the play is geared towards mature audiences and contains situations that some may find shocking, it has been hailed as a contemporary classic. For over 30 years, Caryl Churchill has experimented with the theatrical form. She is often regarded as one of the most respected female dramatists in the English-speaking world.
Tickets are free for members of the college community and $5 for all others. For information, please call 316-2414.
April 4, 2008