KSC presents encore of Equus Jan. 24
The Keene State College Theatre and Dance Department will present an encore performance of Equus on Saturday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wright Theatre as a fundraiser to take the play to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Donations will be accepted at the door. For further information, call 603-358-2162.
The Theatre and Dance Department received the prestigious honor of being invited to present its production of Equus, co-directed by KSC Professors PeggyRae Johnson and William Seigh, at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival January 27-31 in Hyannis, Mass. The production was chosen to represent the best of university productions from the New England region including the State of New York.
Equus, a sensitive play of human obsession, was presented October 21 to 25 at Keene State. The play was written in 1973 by British playwright Peter Shaffer, to explore the reasons that could have triggered a true incident in which a 17-year-old boy blinds six horses. Equus explores trust, vulnerability, and pain as it questions the nature of normalcy and passion in a complex world. This haunting and thought-provoking play is performed by community and student actors, all of whom must travel to the festival along with the crew, costumes and stage set. This is an expensive undertaking and the encore performance is a way for the campus and community members to show their support for the Theatre and Dance Department.
Two veteran actors share the lead roles: William Howell of Peterborough, N.H., a KSC alumnus and staff member, plays the psychiatrist and KSC senior Taylor Jorgensen of Wilton, N.H., the troubled teen. Two other community members are in the cast: Jeannie McGartland of Keene, N.H. and Paige Lussier Johnson of Jaffrey, N.H. who is a KSC Theatre and Dance alumna. Other KSC student cast members are Will Adams of Fernandina Fla., Josh Bernard-Kriegl of Dover, N.H., Henri Hardina-Blanchette of Northampton, Mass., Cara Gerardi of Dennis, Mass., Mitch Hodge of Windham, Maine, Matthew McDougal of Keene, N.H., Megan Pereira of Randolph, N.J., Mia Plympton of Marblehead, Mass., and Kenan Veno of Edgartown, Mass. Jillian Strazzere of Wilmington, Mass., is the stage manager.
About the Keene State Theatre and Dance Department
The Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to providing a comprehensive course of study that balances theory and practice within a sound liberal arts education. The collaborative nature of theatre and dance disciplines fosters an atmosphere in which students work closely with peers and faculty to gain practical experience in all facets or production and critical engagement. As artists and teachers, our primary focus is to encourage and guide our students as they find their creative voices and experience and question the world through the arts. For more information about the Theatre and Dance Department, visit http://academics.keene.edu/tad or call 603-358-2162.
