Saint Martin’s Theatre Arts Department takes the stage for ‘You Can Count on Me’

Production to feature SMU’s advanced acting students

Jan. 23, 2008

Lacey, Washington — The Saint Martin’s University Theatre Arts Department will present Kenneth Lonergan’s “You Can Count on Me,” Feb. 20–23. All performances take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Kreielsheimer Arts Building on Saint Martin’s main campus, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, Washington, 98503.

Directed by Theatre Professor David Hlavsa, the production showcases the work of Saint Martin’s advanced acting students in four two-person scenes. A doorman tries to win over the heart of a policewoman. Two parents struggle over how best to care for their rambunctious child. A boss tries to enlist his secretary in covering up a fraudulent business scheme. A sister looks forward to a visit with a long-lost brother, only to find he is in town for a few hours and has come to ask her for money.

“These are some extraordinary young actors,” says Hlavsa, “and I wanted to give them a chance to show what they can do with some very complex and detailed realistic material. Though the scenes are short, and frequently very funny, they have an emotional depth to them which demands a lot from the actor. It’s a pure pleasure to work on this material, and I’m certain it will be fun — and moving — for the audience.”

Tickets are available at the door: $10 general admission; $6 students and seniors. A pay-what-you-will performance is scheduled for Feb 21.

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 320-acre wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base, Olympic College, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College.

For additional information:

David Hlavsa
Professor, Department of Theatre Arts
360-438-4345
dhlavsa@stmartin.edu