A South Carolina theater company will perform this weekend on campus.
Full Circle Productions partnered with the University of South Carolina to bring The Pavilion to OCU Friday and Saturday.
The Pavilion, by Craig Wright, tells the story of high school sweethearts “Cari” and “Peter,” played by FCP Actors Lindsay Rae Taylor and Andrew Schwartz, as they attend a high school reunion. The play provides a perspective on time and youth while being humorous, said Robert Richmond, director of the play and chairman and artistic director of the department of theater at USC.
“It was a process of elimination, as it always is, trying to get the balance between the philosophical side about time and how you can’t really turn time backward and you’ve got to keep living for the future and the past is prologue, along with the comedy,” Richmond said.
Richmond arranged to bring The Pavilion to OCU through Brian Parsons, associate dean of theater, who he has known for a long time, he said.
The Pavilion was also performed at USC in September, and Richmond said the reception was positive.
“It does seem like something perfect to bring out to OCU and that the students, faculty and community there can get a chance to see this play that’s not very often done,” Richmond said.
All students of the School of Theater are required to attend the The Pavilion, which includes acting, theater and performance, and design and production students.
Luke Barrett, acting freshman, said some performance majors feel disgruntled by their required attendance and by the short notice of its announcement.
“Some people feel like this was somewhat sprung on them,” Barrett said. “I feel like that’s happening because they didn’t announce it at last convocation, so they just kind of sent out this mass email like, ‘oh hey, by the way, you have to go to this, and it’s required for your major, so there can be legitimate consequences if you don’t do it.’”
Barrett said, despite these frustrations, he’s excited to see The Pavilion because it’s a rare opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “There’s always the plus side with things like this which a lot of people haven’t looked at, but when you think about it, we are getting the opportunity to see cheap professional theater from professional actors who are adults, who are not in college. It’ll be interesting to see a production not by OCU students because I haven’t had the opportunity to do that this year.”
Matthew Tuley, acting junior, said he saw The Pavilion when Out of the Box produced the show in 2015.
“It’s a great show, and I’m excited to see what folks with a larger budget do with it,” Tuley said. “But I’m curious how they’ll require an entire school to fit into the Black Box with only two shows.”
The Pavilion has performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Black Box Theater in Wanda L. Bass Music Center. Richmond also will lead a free workshop at 2 p.m. Saturday on comparing modern texts to Shakespeare. The masterclass is for School of Theater students, but the show is open to anyone who purchases a $12 ticket at okcu.edu/main/tickets.
Richmond said The Pavilion will be relatable for all students.
“It’s a beautiful evening of comedy and fun,” he said. “It has the ability to reach young people and give a cautionary tale that says they should be thinking about their future, and they should be moving forward into their adulthood, and they should feel like they are growing and changing and are a part of the world.”
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