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Oglethorpe Students get Chance to Direct;
Watkinsville Native to Direct "Mud"
Atlanta – Oglethorpe University’s Theatre Department has adopted
a new program to give students the opportunity to demonstrate what
they have learned. New Directions allows qualified students
opportunities to direct full-scale theatre productions in the
university’s annual repertory season. With intensive training
backgrounds in acting, theatre history, and directing, as well as
world-class intern experiences with the Georgia Shakespeare
Festival, Oglethorpe theatre students are unusually equipped to
produce professional-level artistic work.
This year the theatre faculty has selected two
outstanding students to bring their fresh visions to the stage –
Brian Huskey, directing “The Skriker” by Caryl Churchill, and
Jenilee Shanks, directing “Mud” by Maria Irene Fornes. “These are
two challenging modern texts by two critically-acclaimed
playwrights,” said Troy Dwyer, Assistant Director of Theatre at
Oglethorpe University. “Brian and Jeni are cutting their teeth on
exceptional plays. But they’re also ready for such intricate work.
Both directors have spent the better part of the last year
cultivating their approaches to the projects, and they’ve been
training for this moment since they’ve been at Oglethorpe. They
both have such distinct artistic voices. It’s exciting to be able
to work with such gifted artists so early in their careers.”
Jenilee Shanks, graduate of Oconee County High
School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ted L. Shanks. She is a
senior majoring in Theatre.
“My experience at Oglethorpe has been one of
growth,” said Jenilee Shanks. “The best part of a liberal arts
education is that you don't just memorize the thoughts of someone
else. Instead, you are taught to think on your own and to analyze an
argument not just for its meaning but for its validity in relation
to yourself. I have taken this ability to personalize a text and
applied it to my directing.”
“Mud” and “The Skriker” will run in repertory
with each other, with a double header on March 9 at 2 p.m. during
which both shows will be presented for the price of one.
Mud
“Mud,” a New Directions production of The
Playmakers, Oglethorpe University Theatre, directed by Jenilee
Shanks. A hill. A shack. A woman imprisoned. And nothing for miles
around. Feminist playwright Maria Irene Fornes’ “Mud” contributes a
muck-encrusted portrait of poverty and hope to the Theatre Politic
season. At once poignant and harsh, “Mud” exposes the plight of a
desperate household that finds itself sinking deeper and deeper into
its own inescapable filth. A psychologically harrowing
pressure-cooker struggling to resist an inexorable moment of
violence, “Mud” grips tight and won’t let go. March 5 and 7
performances are at 8 p.m. March 9 performance is a double header
(with “The Skriker) at 2 p.m. Performances are in Lupton Auditorium
in Lupton Hall. Tickets are $7. Call 404-504-1074 for reservations.
Visit
www.oglethorpe.edu/theatre for more information.
The Skriker
“The Skriker” a New Directions production of The Playmakers,
Oglethorpe University, directed by Brian Huskey. A shapeshifter and
death portent, ancient and damaged, she has walked the earth for
millennia, leaving behind her a trail of terror and tears. Now she’s
made up her mind to haunt two unfortunate young women until they’re
swept (along with the audience) to the very brink of reason. Caryl
Churchill’s nightmarish fairy-tale is a linguistic roller coaster of
nursery rhymes and vicious riffs, with a fascinating dose of Marxist
feminist ideology thrown in for good measure. Weird, sinister, and
strangely redemptive, “The Skriker” exposes the dark underbelly of
Theatre Politic. Performances are March 6 and March 8 at 8 p.m. and
a double-header (with “Mud) on March 9 at 2 p.m. Performances are in
Lupton Auditorium in Lupton Hall. Tickets are $7. Call 404-504-1074
for reservations. Visit
www.oglethorpe.edu/theatre for more information.
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