The Gustavus Theatre and Dance Department will present its first show of the 2009-2010 season with a collection of three plays: Caryl Churchill’s Far Away and Seven Jewish Children, and Deb Margolin’s Seven Palestinian Children. Directed by Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Amy Seham, these collected plays are different than any other performed at Gustavus.

These plays are very thought-provoking and theatrical. Caryl Churchill is a wonderful playwright. She uses startling imagery and imaginative situations to make us think about social issues, but she never lectures. The audience is invited to think in new ways through entertaining and intriguing scenes and effects,” Seham said.

Far Away is a grim play, yet with lively and humerous tones. The performance features student actors and actresses Senior Theatre and English Major Andrea Gullixson, Senior Theatre Major Shane Jensen, Senior Communication Studies Major Kelly Nelson and Sally Morrow, daughter of Gustavus Professor of Communication Studies Terry Morrow. Morrow plays the lead role in this dark-edged fairy tale. Far Away is a play that shows audiences the links between American culture and poverty around the world.

Jensen, an actor in Far Away, is excited about the uniqueness of the show. “Far Away offers many different feelings and types of excitement. One moment you may be hearing about a disturbing image that a young girl saw in the night. Next, you may see an interesting romance blossoming with outrageous hats being made or interesting arguments about the brutality of deer and alligators,” Jensen said.
This year’s performances are different from previous performances, and the actors are excited for the show. “The scenic and lighting designers are both students which is very exciting. It’s so impressive to see the caliber of artists on this campus,” Jensen said.

Seven Jewish Children, the second in this collection of plays, was written after the 2008 incursions into Gaza by Israeli forces. In this 10-minute performance, a group of adults discuss how to teach Jewish children about violence in their history. Students in the Social Justice Theatre class, Religion Professor Mary Gaebler and French Professor Laurent Dechery will be performing in Seven Jewish Children.

“This is a very controversial play that refers to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many other playwrights have written pieces in response to Seven Jewish Children, and we have chosen one, Seven Palestinian Children, to present as our part of the program,” Seham said.

The third play is Seven Palestinian Children. It is based on a mother telling her son about the effects of the Israeli incursions from a Palestinian viewpoint of the conflict. The play further elaborates how the mother feels about what the Jewish people have done to them.

Due to the provocative nature of the plays, talk-back sessions will be held after every performance. Seham and the cast of the shows will be present for the sessions. Members of the Curriculum II Theatre Arts course in Dramaturgy will lead the talk. “We hope the plays give audiences a lot to think about and a lot to discuss,” Seham said.

The last two plays, Seven Jewish Children and Seven Palestinian Children, will begin approximately one hour after the play Far Away. Tickets are free to Gustavus students and staff and can be picked up at the SAO desk located on the lower level of the Jackson Campus Center.

The second two plays Seven Jewish Children and Seven Palestinian Children, are always free of charge according to the wishes of the playwrites.