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Southern Plays Included in SFA's Summer Theatre Season
Sylvia Bierschenk - June 10, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Stephen F. Austin State University theatre students are perfecting their Southern drawls as they prepare two of the plays included in the School of Theatre's Summer Repertory season. Alfred Uhry's "Driving Miss Daisy," set in Atlanta, Ga., will open the season on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m. in W.M. Turner Auditorium. It will be presented again on Wednesday, July 2; Thursday, July 3; and Tuesday, July 8.
Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart," set in Hazlehurst, Miss., in 1974, will have its first run on Tuesday, June 24, and Wednesday, June 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Downstage Theatre. It will also be presented on Saturday, June 28; Tuesday, July 1; Friday, July 11; and Saturday, July 12.
Both plays have a definite Southern flavor, according to Scott Shattuck, director of the SFA School of Theatre. "The characters and their circumstances reflect the culture in which they live, but their stories defy the usual stereotypes."
The Pulitzer Prize-winning "Driving Miss Daisy" follows the relationship between Daisy Werthan, a strong-willed Jewish widow, and her good-natured African American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn, from 1948 to 1973.
During that time span, the South and the characters go through significant changes, explained Allen Oster, SFA professor of theatre and the play's director. But the cultural differences between Daisy and Hoke and the growth of their relationship transcend the region; theirs is a universal human condition, Oster continued.
One of the strengths of "Crimes of the Heart" is its very specific depiction of life in a small Southern town, according to Shattuck, the play's director. "Our audience will definitely recognize the three MaGrath sisters around whom the play revolves," he explained, "but they will laugh as forbidden romance, sex, violence and death collide in hilarious ways with the demure society we associate with life in such a conservative and traditional place."
The play's presentation in the small Downstage Theatre of the Griffith Fine Arts Building easily extends the play's intimacy to the audience, Shattuck continued. "The audience will be right in the MaGrath kitchen as the sisters reveal their longings, loves and disappointments with irresistible candor."
Due to adult topics and situations, the play is recommended for mature audiences.
The Summer Repertory season also includes a children's musical, "Androcles and the Lion," which will be presented at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 27; Wednesday, July 9; and Thursday, July 10. Two matinees are also offered at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 28; and Monday, June 30.
Season tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for seniors, students and youth. Single tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for seniors, students and youth. For tickets or more information, please visit www.sfasu.edu/finearts, call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS, or purchase tickets on-line.