The School of Theatre’s final mainstage of the academic year is a politically relevant play about fascism and moderacy.
The School of Theatre will be presenting “A Bright Room Called Day,” directed by Luke Eddy, assistant professor of movement, at 8:00 p.m. April 9-10.
“A Bright Room Called Day,” by Tony Kushner, is set in 1930s Berlin. The plot centers around a group of left-leaning friends struggling to understand the world as Hitler comes to power. While they privately detest Hitler’s rhetoric, they do not actively take part in any resistance outside of their homes.
Their choices are contrasted with a parallel presentation of events in the 1980s United States, where a young Jewish activist called Zillah does everything in her power to combat authoritarianism and injustice in her country.
Becca Lipshultz, music theater/composition freshman, is playing “Zillah” and understudies “Paulinka.”
“This play is incredibly important right now,” Lipshultz said. “It shows the parallels between the Weimar Republic and the Reagan administration, but without even leaping too far, any audience member can draw that parallel to today and the Trump administration. This show captures the fear of the common person versus the radicalist, and how the citizens in the middle are forced to choose the side of oppression in fear of shattering the norms of society.”
Liv Story, acting junior, is playing “Agnes Egging.”
“The play literally holds a mirror up to the world we are currently in— these disjointed, unprecedented times,” Story said. “It’s crazy that it was written in the 90s because it feels like Kushner could’ve devised it up in the last 4 years. It has blurred the lines between art and activism in my head.”
Story said the rehearsal process has thoroughly considered the historical events and significance of this play.
“I’ve really appreciated the collaborative rehearsal space where the hierarchy is deteriorated and everyone from actors to stage management to understudies have had their artistic perspective be heard and honored,” Story said.
Lipshultz said the performances will be livestreamed in alignment with COVID safety guidelines.
“We’ve worked really safely and the show is going to be distanced and COVID safe while still being staged in a very impactful way,” Lipshultz said.
“A Bright Room Called Day” will be livestreamed at 8 p.m. April 9-10 from the Burg Theatre. Students can find ticket information on the OCU website.
Leave a Reply