Thu 10/8 – Sun 10/17
Sexual identity, race, and the changing face of family are just some of the issues Cloud 9 digs into. See this landmark play @ Kent State University School of Dance & Theatre starting on Thu 10/8.
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Caryl Churchill’s play, first produced in London in 1979, is a landmark in its exploration of sex, race and the changing face of the family. Act 1, set in 1880 Africa, is a spoof of colonialist attitudes and Victorian hang-ups. The second act, set in 1980 England, is a more serious take on the fallout of the sexual revolution. Both feature the same family members who, in a bit of theatrical magic, have aged only 25 years between acts. That’s not the only trick Churchill plays. She also requires the actors to swap sex and race.
“It is a play about identity and the roles we are given in life – i.e. sexless mother, all-providing father, dutiful child, and faithful servant,” said Eric van Baars, director and associate professor of theatre. “Sexual repression is also a big theme. I have plans to play with the visualization of sexual repression on the architecture of the characters.”
KSU – Wright-Curtis Theatre in the Music and Speech Building – 1325 Theatre Drive – Kent