Cornell's Department of Theatre, Film and Dance will present Caryl Churchill's controversial play, Far Away, as part of its Black Box Series. Performances will be held Friday, Oct. 3, at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $2 in advance and $3 at the door.
The hourlong production explores themes of anti-capitalism and violence and is directed by Craig Wesley Divino '04. A senior theater and English major, Divino has been seen in various roles on the Cornell stage, including Valére in The Miser, and he will play the part of Angelo in The Comedy of Errors this fall. "My primary responsibility in directing this show," said Divino, "is to do as little as possible so that Ms. Churchill, who is far more intelligent than I, can be clearly heard. The title of this play, Far Away, is so important because we as a society see everything that involves violence and racism as being far away and far-removed, yet the playwright makes it clear that they are, in fact, in our own backyard. We have to take responsibility for that."
The cast includes Liz DeSantis, who will play the part of Joan, Lauren Wells as Harper, and Greg Roman as Todd. Travis Atkinson, Kevaughn Harvey and Amin Kirdar are the prisoners.
Set in a fictional country, this play is a nightmarish vision of the end of the world, a world where even the plants and animals are at war with each other. It is a shocking representation of the effects of capitalism on a society that is doing its best to ignore the impending Armageddon.
Tickets for Far Away are available at the Schwartz Center box office. Call 254-ARTS or visit the box office weekdays between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m.
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