![](../../../images/Events/2013-2014_Season/Theater/optimist_412.jpg)
The Optimist
October 03, and 04, , and 05, , and 09, , and 10, , and 11, , and 12, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
October 06, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Waller Hall Mainstage, IUP Performing Arts Center
This event is over.
Over the course of one tumultuous weekend, Noel returns to his hometown to confront the sudden death of his best friend, the wedding of his philandering father, and the reemergence of his one true love, Nicole.
A hilarious, poignant journey punctuated by the childishly silly antics of Noel's fraternal twin brother, Declan, The Optimist follows three young people into a rundown motel room where they tackle unfinished romance, the imminent arrival of a rampaging patriarch, and the threat of impending adulthood.
Over four tumultuous days, our twenty-something hero doggedly fights to conquer the beasts of nostalgia in order to plunge ahead into a future filled with uncertainty and change. Questions arise. Will Noel and Nicole find their future together? Is there hope for humanity? How does one come to terms with the inevitability of death and remain a joyful and willing player in the game of life? Why does it seem like some of us are fated to be the carriers of memory, while others appear to pass blissfully-and painlessly-through love and loss?
Described in the New Yorker as "compelling drama" and "deliriously entertaining," the play is compulsively smart, occasionally dirty, and thoroughly addictive.
This play contains language and situations to which some audience members may object. It is not recommended for younger audiences.
Tickets are priced at $14 (regular), $12 (discount for senior citizens and groups of 15 or more), and $9 (I-Card holder, students, and children).
Clips
The Optimist Q&A: April Daras, Director, Part 1The Optimist Q&A: Emily Morris
The Optimist Q&A: Jillian Fields
The Optimist Q&A: April Daras, Director, Part 2
The Optimist Q&A: Ken Singleton
Playwright Jason Chimonides
The Optimist Q&A: April Daras, Director, Part 3
The Optimist Q&A: Lydia Gibson
The Optimist Q&A: Morgan Chase
Hawks Talk: IUP Theater and Dance Department
Outreach and Resources
News Post: Optimist Is Season OpenerReview of The Optimist
The Optimist on Google Books
Department and Theater and Dance
Find out how you can support the Lively Arts at IUP.
Share this event: