Performances are November 11, 12, 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and November 13 at 2 p.m. in the Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale. General admission is $12; for alumni, faculty, staff and seniors $10; any student $6. Tickets are available in person at the Box Office, located in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center, Mondays through Fridays, from noon to 5 p.m. and one hour prior to performances. Tickets may also be purchased with a service fee through Star Tickets Plus by calling (616) 222-4000, or online at www.starticketsplus.com, or from any Star Tickets outlet.
An opportunity to discuss the production with Saunders, the playwright, and Burrows, the director, will take place after the November 12 production, followed by a reception. A Grand Valley faculty panel discussion about the social issues addressed in the play will follow the November 17 performance.
Burrows has acted, taught and directed extensively in The Bahamas, Scotland, and the U.S. Along with his expertise and experience, he brings a rare opportunity to view authentic Caribbean theatre in West Michigan. His attention to detail includes coaching the cast in Bahamian dialect, which differs from the guttural Barbados language and the familiar Jamaican sound.
"I hope to impart on the cast and audiences The Bahamas beyond the postcard pictures most tourists have," said Burrows. "Not just in the context of this play, but to see it as a place with a rich cultural heritage."
The play centers on the murder trial of a 21-year-old man. The four main characters are Mother, Son, Lawyer and Old Fool, who does not speak. The remaining characters are various witnesses, relatives and lovers who also act as Jury and Chorus. Flashbacks during the young man's murder trial explore family dynamics and social crises.
The production is staged on a unit set creatively using only platforms in different areas of the stage to denote a house, a jail cell, a school yard and other locations. Lighting plays an important role on the set. The "Jury" uses chants and native Bahamian rhythms to comment on and move the action of the play.
The play is approximately 90 minutes in length and is performed without an intermission. Once the actors enter the stage, they are there until the play ends. As serious as the murder is, there is a lot of comedy in this piece and the music and rhythms, written by Cleophas R. E. Adderley, Jr., are infectious.
For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/theatre or call the Theatre Box Office at (616) 331-2300.
