Play: Yellowman by Dael Orlandersmith
A provocative, affecting drama about the harsh realities of internalized racism in the African-American community, described in The New York Times as “a battle cry for humanity and its possibilities.” In Orlandersmith's haunting, poetic script, light-skinned Eugene and darker-hued Alma recount the story of their lifelong relationship, evolving from a childhood friendship to a grown-up love affair, and how their lives were forever shaped by the deep-seated prejudices of parents and peers in their small Southern hometown.
Play: Whose Words All Ears Took Captive
USC's Lab Theatre is known for its fresh takes on great plays, but it can't get fresher than this. whose words all ears took captive, (a title taken from a line in Shakespeare’s All Well That Ends Well) will bring together a small group of students to craft, cast, design, direct and perform original short plays in under a week. The result will be two completely different evenings of “captivating” entertainment, filled all the thrills and surprises of seeing new plays performed for the very first time!
Play: Status Update by Kat Martin
The side effects of life in the internet age are explored in graduate student Kat Martin's original script, Status Update. Developed from months of research on the increasing dominance of social media and technology in our world, Martin's insightful script exposes the unintended consequences of the “on-call” lifestyle. Will our increasing dependence on technology make us eternal or control us?
Play: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Directed by Marybeth Gorman
This trimmed up, modern rendition of Shakespeare’s controversial comedy explores how far people will go to get what they want in the game of love. Lucentio desires to win the heart of the fair Bianca, but society dictates that she can’t be married until her “shrewish” older sister, Katherina, finds a husband. Enter gold-digging scoundrel Petruchio, who will marry the first wealthy woman he can, and decides to take on Katherina as the ultimate romantic challenge. What transpires is an all-out battle of wits, as opposing forces try to tame each other in an ever more outrageous quest for wedded bliss!