Upcoming

"& Juliet" by Robert Caisley | directed by Craig A. Miller

May 13, 14, 15, & 16

When power, race, and jealousy collide, rivalries can become vicious...Charlie Vaughn, a White, highly acclaimed theatre director, trying to escape some nasty rumors about his last production, comes to a small conventional college campus to stage a production of Romeo & Juliet. When he announces his startling directorial concept for the show, it challenges the sensibilities of the campus community and upsets the expectations of Annie Rice, an ambitious young Black acting student who feels the role of Juliet is hers. Turning to his new colleague Dr. Hughes – a thirty-year veteran of the theatre department – for advice, Charlie quickly discovers that Annie might not be the only one willing to resort to Shakespearean measures to get what they want.

Support our U of I faculty, students and alumnus working on "& Juliet":

• Playwright - Robert Caisley
• Performer - KT Turner, MFA Candidate - in the role of Annie Rice
• Dramaturg & Cultural Sensitivity Advisor - Toni Henderson-Mayers, MFA Candidate
• Scenic Designer - Brindle Brundage, MFA Candidate
• Production Stage Manager - Cesar Reyes, MFA 2020
• Director & Sound Designer - Craig A. Miller

Livestreaming Performances:

• May 13 & 14 at 7 p.m.
• May 15 at 5 p.m.
• May 16 at 2 p.m.
• Admission is free - donations appreciated.
• Visit Zoomtheatre.com to register for the date of your choice

"Gross Indecency - The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde" by Moises Kaufman | directed by Ricky Kimball

In three short months, Oscar Wilde, the most celebrated playwright and wit of Victorian England, was toppled from the apex of British society into humiliation and ruin. Drawing from real life trial documents, newspaper accounts and writings of the key players, Moises Kaufman ignites an incendiary mix of sex and censorship with a cast of characters ranging from George Bernard Shaw to Queen Victoria, herself. The three trials center around the eventual accusations of "gross indecency" given to anyone exhibiting homosexual activity, which was illegal in the United Kingdom in the 19th Century. This groundbreaking production introduces over 40 characters with a cast of 11 players. The themes in this play ring as true today as they did back then.

View program here.

• Free for U of I students
• $10 for individuals
• $20 group pass
• matinees are pay what you can

• 6 p.m. PST, April 23, 24, 30, May 1
• 2 p.m. PST April 24, 25, May 1, 2

Greenroom Chats

These virtual meetings bring experienced theatre professionals from around the world to our students via Zoom for revealing conversations about creativity and success in the real world. Previous presenters have included award-winning playwrights, performers, casting directors, puppet masters, company executives and others sharing their stories and wisdom. All Greenroom Chats begin at 1 p.m., Pacific Standard Time unless otherwise noted. If you would like to join us for a particular presentation, please request the Zoom link from the Department of Theatre Arts at theatre@uidaho.edu.

Zoom link here.

We have to encourage playwrights to engage their imaginations and to support freedom expression; however, when a writer chooses to tell a story or invent characters outside their own identity, it calls for a special sensitivity and responsibility. Sensitivity Readers are typically dramaturgs who have a specialization in offering feedback on cultural inaccuracies, representation issues, unconscious bias or stereotypes and problematic language. They are increasingly becoming an integral and well-overdue part of an institution’s anti-racist theatre practice. Please join us for this special panel discussion with our special guests: Dominic Antonio D'Andrea, Ashley Lauren Rogers, Martine Kei Green-Rogers and Divinia Shorter. Hosted by MFA directing candidate, and Cultural Sensitivity Consultant, Toni Henderson-Mayers.

Previous guest artists:

• Sensitivity Readers
• Jennifer Goodlander, Ph.D.
• Andres X. Lopez, Ph.D.
• Lyndsay Burch, Kisha Jarrett, Nicole Watson and Emilia Sargent
• Idris Goodwin, playwright
• Lavina Jadhwani, director
• Amy Rose Marsh, Concord Theatricals (formerly Samuel French)
• Juan Cabello and Geralldy Najera, directors, performers
• AnaSofia Villanueva, producer, director, writer, activist
• Aurin Squire, playwright
• Native Playwriting Panel: Carolyn Dunn, Ty Defoe, Randy Reinholz, DeLanna Studi.
• Prison Performing Arts: Dario Pena, Robbie Pollock, Kathleen Powers-Kusio
• Chelsea Hackett, executive director of SPEAK
• LatinX Playwriting Panel: Virginia Grise, Guillermo Reyes, Damaso Rodriguez, Elaine Romero, Caridad Svich.