ATLANTA - Oglethorpe University’s Evening Degree Program will present a four-night festival of short plays called Departures and Arrivals this summer. Departures will be performed on August 10 and 12 at 8:00 p.m. Arrivals will be performed on August 11 at 8:00 p.m. and August 13 at 3:00 p.m.

Comprised of 19 multigenerational plays and featuring 38 multicultural actors, Departures and Arrivals explore the lives of female characters from different social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. The cast and crew include Oglethorpe professors, students and alumni and many Atlanta-area high school students. All of the plays featured in Departures and Arrivals are written and directed by award-winning playwright and recent Oglethorpe graduate David-Matthew Barnes.

Included in Departures are: Bracelets and Boyfriends, a tender exploration of the lifelong friendship between two women; Clean, a critically-acclaimed play that offers insight into a woman’s struggle with Alzheimer’s; Hour Glass, a modern adaptation of the Greek myth of Persephone; Taking Off, a powerful piece exploring a woman’s reaction to the news that her husband’s plane has crashed; This Is My Last Date With The Boogey Man; a hilarious look at the worst date of a young woman’s life; Try, a comedic play that embraces the pitfalls of dating; Threnody, the story of a young couple grasping for signs of hope in a world where none exists and Women of a Southern Town, a thematic collection of poetry, monologues and performance pieces. The plays featured in Departures are geared towards an adult audience and contain adult language and mature themes.

Included in Arrivals are: Are You All Right In There?, an universally appealing play for young women; Baby in the Basement, a hard-hitting look at teen suicide; Unrequited, a hilarious take on teen angst; Punch Bowl, a hilarious take on teen angst; No Boys Allowed, a sensitive play that explores how the lives of four women are affected by death; Stay, a play that deals with making tough choices and Praying to the Porcelain Gods at Paradise Cove, a party-themed teen comedy. The plays featured in Arrivals contain mature themes but are suitable for teen audiences.

Performances will be held in Lupton Auditorium on the Oglethorpe University campus (4484 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta). General admission tickets will be available before the performance for $5; the event is free to the Oglethorpe community. For additional information, please call 404.504.3379.