The world premiere of a play specially written for our department by Dan Barden, author, journalist and professor of creative writing in the Department of English. Luke's Father And The Sled is a play about an extraordinary day in the life of several young people working in a multiplex cinema in a small midwestern town. Sparked by a rumor that Simona Wakefield, a famous feminist film director, will be visiting the theatre, Rachel, the multiplex's assistant manager, strategizes to replace the trailers with her film school application reel. Rachel's plan is vigorously opposed by Wade, a just-fired assistant manager, who has vowed to dedicate this day to an "anarchy of cinematic deconstruction." He's going to do everything he can to ruin the experience of every theatergoer, including Ms. Wakefield.

What's at stake between Rachel, the romantic, and Wade, the theorist/anarchist, is two seemingly opposed points of view on the meaning of film as an art form: is it the dreams of humanity writ large on the walls of our minds? Or is it just a coporate hallucination that is entirely subject to the context and interpretation of the viewer? Heady stuff, but funny too.

CREDITS

Directed by Diane Timmerman
Asst Director Michael Bachman
Fight Choreographer – Cynthia Pratt
Scenic Design – Liz Wisehart
Costume Design – Kate Mitchell
Lighting Design – Glen Thoreson
Stage Manager – Emily Brand
Asst. Stage Manager – Oliver Brooks

CAST

Summer – Tiffany Wilson
Rocky – Erin Spears
Wade – Matt Rozek
Daydrienne – Cara Olansky
Lou – David Weinheimer
Betsy – Ashley Rhodes
Simona – Katrina Bergmann
Adona – Catherine Nading
Theatre Workers/Movie Workers – Oliver Brooks, Luke List, Alex Pitcairn, Katie Burk, Erica Loveland, Katie Sheets, Brianna Fledderman, Laura Mancini, Brian Sheppard, Tatiana Grubisich, Sally Mitchell, Sarah Snider, Jocelyn Henjum, Nick Murray, Caroline Stine, Margaret Henney, Jason Ober, Leah Winkler