Theatre Department to Perform “The Shadow Box” in Abilene and Scotland

Students to take play to the Fringe Festival in August

April 4, 2016 Linnea Kirgan

(Abilene, Texas) The Theatre Department will take its production of the Tony Award-winning play “The Shadow Box” to Scotland this summer following its debut at HSU.

The Abilene-based performances are April 7 to 9 and 14 to 17 at 7:30 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m. in the Van Ellis Theatre. Students will be Scotland-bound in August to perform the play at the world’s largest performing arts festival, Fringe Fest. 

“The Shadow Box” is directed by Dr. Victoria Spangler, associate professor of Theatre.

The play takes place over twenty-four hours, in three separate vacation cabins on the grounds of a large hospital. Each tale features a person who is dying and surrounded by loved ones. The play’s characters are trying to face and make sense of death.

Spangler said audiences should know that the drama is full of relatable moments.

When people learn that ‘The Shadow Box’ deals with people who are terminally ill, they often think, ‘Oh, I don’t want to see a sad play.’  It’s not a sad play. It’s a serious play, a drama, but there are light moments that make the serious subject easier to deal with. Just like life,” she said. “Plays are generally written about ordinary people going through extraordinary circumstances.  This is the case with “The Shadow Box.”  It is very relatable. And very beautiful.”

Spangler said the play was selected to perform at the Fringe Festival because it can be done in a relatively small space on a simple set.

It is not a technically complicated play–it is an actor’s play – story and character driven. And it deals with a subject that crosses all cultures and languages:  love and life,” she said.

The department is still raising travel funds for the Scotland trip. In addition to ticket sales, the department has raised funds by holding special events and through program advertisements. Program advertisements are still being sold for the department’s DirectFest event, which will go toward travel expenses.

 

 

Share:
Share: