KU Theatre to open its season with 'Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties'
LAWRENCE — The University Theatre will open its 2023-24 season with a play that unapologetically dives into taboo topics, dips into a revolution happening around the globe and features puppetry to help tell the story. A provocative exploration, “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties” by Jen Silverman will be performed in the intimate setting of the William Inge Memorial Theatre at Murphy Hall. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 8. The play is directed by Marzieh Ashrafian, a doctoral student in the Department of Theatre & Dance.
Many of the Betties’ stories combat age-old constructs of exhaustion and repression through a diverse array of modern feministic and queer viewpoints. A Shakespearean play-within-a-play and bluntly feminine puppetry advance the narrative and convey a powerful transformation in this dark comedy, which premiered in 2016 and moved off-Broadway in 2018. The author and playwright has had her plays performed nationally and internationally, along with a forthcoming debut novel.
Owners of Simple Mischief Studio Grace Townley and Spencer Lott, who is also a KU Theatre alumnus, will serve as guest artists on the production and have been working since early summer designing three puppets critical to the action, including the final scene. Simple Mischief is a creative studio co-founded by Townley, an artist, and Lott, a “Sesame Street” puppeteer. The company builds puppets for film and TV and teams up with local creative partners, like The Rabbit hOle. Credits include “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019, Tristar) and “SpongeBob's Pineapple Playhouse” (2020, Nickelodeon), among others. Their participation is made possible in part by the department’s Ronald A. Willis Visiting Scholar/Artist Fund.
A talkback with the cast and dramaturg will follow the performance Oct. 10 in the theatre. Tickets are available for purchase at online or by calling 785-864-3982 or in-person at the box office in Murphy Hall from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays.
“In the heart of the women's liberation movement, where the battle for freedom and equality raged, I found my muse. My homeland, Iran, bore witness to a stirring revolution. Though movements for change have arisen worldwide, the shackles of patriarchy persist. No longer do we need metaphors; it's time to address taboos and injustices candidly and sincerely,” Ashrafian said. “Our five characters embark on a transformational journey, seeking to change the world by first changing themselves. Realistically, we may not revolutionize the world with a play. However, it is my sincere hope that we can share this story with our spectators to ignite conversations and inspire change.”
Ashrafian is an accomplished Iranian theatre scholar and director with a Master of Arts in Puppet Theater from the University of Tehran. Currently a third-year doctoral student at KU, her expertise encompasses the semantic dimensions of cyborg representation on stage, Middle Eastern theatre, feminism and the intricate interplay of trauma and identity within the theatrical realm. Her journey led her to establish and lead as director of the theatre department at the SGHK Institute in Iran. Her directorial ventures, such as “There was a Home,” “Dream of Shoe” and “Wolf and Sheep,” have earned acclaim at national and international festivals.
Additional creative team members are Sara Baird, a theatre MFA student, and Dennis Christilles, associate professor of scenography, as scenic designers; Taiane Lacerda, a third-year MFA student in scenography from Florianopolis, Brazil, as costume designer; Riley Sansbury, a junior in theatre performance and psychology from Houston, Texas, as lighting designer; Hana Rose North, a sophomore in theatre design from Salina, as sound designer; Tiffani Brooks Hagan, doctoral student in theatre studies, as dramaturg and intimacy director from Spartanburg, South Carolina; Alireza Mirzaeinezhad, MFA student in expanded media, as video designer; and Kennedy Tolar, a sophomore in theatre from Tulsa, Oklahoma, as stage manager.
The cast members are Enya Sullivan, a freshman in theatre performance from Scottsdale, Arizona, as Betty 1; Natalie Loftus, a student in theatre and English from Hays, as Betty 2; Maya Perez, a senior in film & media studies, as Betty 3; Jayden Warf, a sophomore in theatre performance from Winchester, Virginia, as Betty 4; and Mak Mendelsohn, a student in fine art and psychology from Hayward, California, as Betty 5.
The University Theatre and University Dance Company are production wings of KU’s Department of Theatre & Dance, offering five to six public productions throughout the academic year. The University Theatre and University Dance Company productions are funded in part by KU Student Senate fees, and the theatre’s season is supported by Truity Credit Union.