Friday, March 03, 2017

The University of North Carolina Wilmington Department of Theatre will wrap its 2016-17 season with two upcoming productions.

“We’ve enjoyed record-breaking attendance, box office and artistic success with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Boeing Boeing,’ said Thomas Salzman, chair of the department of theatre. “Our final two shows are sure to be provocative and entertaining for our audiences.”

Written by Robert Askins, “Hand to God” is the story of Jason, who struggles to finds an outlet for his anxiety after the death of his father. He is thrown into further upheaval at the Christian Puppet Ministry in Cypress, Texas, when his puppet, Tyrone, takes on a shocking and dangerously irreverent personality all its own.

This Terry Rogers Student Lab Production is being directed by theatre major Matt Carter ’17. Theatre students play an integral role in the department’s productions – from acting to assisting with light and design. Applied learning opportunities give students a leg up in career preparation, a priority outlined in UNCW’s Strategic Plan. 

“Hand to God” will run March 16-19 in the SRO Theatre in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for members of the general public and $3 for students. They are available at the door one hour before the show on show dates. Please note, this production contains strong language, sexual content and violence and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

The 2016-17 season officially concludes with Lillian Hellman’s “The Children’s Hour.” The play was written in 1934 and revolves around Mary, a student who tells a lie which shakes the foundation of the teachers and founders of a modest boarding school for girls. The play has been debated, banned and revised over the years. 

“The play speaks to an attempt to exist in one’s truth while being challenged by the expectations of a society that doesn’t offer its support,” said Robin Post, director and assistant professor of theatre.

“The Children’s Hour” will run March 30-April 2 and April 6-9 at the Mainstage Theatre in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building. Show times are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for members of the general public, $12 for seniors, UNCW employees and alumni, and $6 for students, and are available at the Kenan Box Office on campus, online and at the door one hour before show time.

--Caroline Cropp

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