Theater-by-the-Grove at IUP will present Electriad, co-created by Carrie Cole
and members of the ensemble and community. The production will run February
21–25, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. and February 26 at 2:00 p.m. Performances will be
presented by Theater-by-the-Grove in the Waller Hall Mainstage Theater.
Electriad uses the
story of how siblings Electra and Orestes come to terms with their situation at
the end of the Trojan War as a means of creating a conversation about how individuals
and cultures experience war across history. The story focuses on the three
perspectives of the Homefront, the Warrior, and the Displaced.
Carrie Cole, an assistant professor focusing on integrative
theater studies, leads the ensemble of actors, designers, and artisans who have
come together as part of this performance.
According to Cole, “I initially conceived of this piece over
a year ago, concerned not just with escalating world-wide violence and the
global and local effects, but also concerned with the lack of dialogue—of true
communication across and among points of view—that was gripping our nation.
“Devising Electriad
became a way of exploring a contemporary issue on stage by looking to the
past—and a way to continue the courageous conversations we’ve been having with
our audiences around important and often polarizing issues.”
Electriad makes no
attempt to privilege one experience of war over another, but offers a collage
of experiences—some based in Greek mythology, some based in the ensemble’s
experience, and some garnered from the community. Each performance will vary as
the audience is invited to share their experience and contribute to the script
each night.
The play includes language not recommended for audiences
under the age of 17.
Tickets for Electriad
are available online or the Lively Arts’ online ticketing site. The can also be purchased
at the Hadley Union Building, located on Pratt Drive of the IUP campus, or by calling 724-357-1313. Seating is by
general admission, and any tickets remaining will be sold at the door starting
one hour before each performance.
For more information, contact the Lively Arts at
724-357-2547 or e-mail lively-arts@iup.edu.
Theater-by-the-Grove is produced by the Department of
Theater and Dance and the College of Fine Arts at Indiana University of
Pennsylvania. It is funded, in part, by the IUP Student Cooperative
Association.
Photo by Heather Giavedoni