College students perform and audience participates in unique Saint Martin's play

Oct. 17, 2004

Lacey, Wash. – The Saint Martin’s College Department of Theatre Arts will present a theater game play by Megan Terry in November. “Comings and Goings” is made up of two characters: he and she.

The production will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11-13 and 17-20 at the Midnight Sun theater space, 113 North Columbia Street, Olympia. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $10; $6 for seniors and students. A pay-what-you-will show is Nov. 17.

“I chose this play because I was drawn to its non-traditional format,” says John Ficker, director, and Saint Martin’s alum.

The two-character play features five actors who tag-team in and out of unrelated scenes that range from a car crash to satellites revolving in space. The audience participates by randomly sending a new actor into a scene, which changes the direction of what is happening on stage. Because of the audience’s participation, each performance will be unique.

“What ties the pieces together is the question of how we deal with the he when we are she, and she when we are he,” explains Ficker. “The play helps us to explore the questions of what tools we use to achieve what we want – is high status more effective than low status, is it manipulation or a power play, and how are those things different?”

Ficker has worked with many local theater companies and most recently directed “Sophie” by Bryan Willis. Ficker serves on the City of Olympia’s Arts Commission and is the former artistic director of Artesian Theater.

For more information, please call the college’s department of theatre arts, (360) 438-4345.

For more information:
David Hlavsa
Associate professor, theatre arts
360-438-4345; dhlavsa@stmartin.edu

Deanna Partlow
Office of Communication
360-438-4541; dpartlow@stmartin.edu