Theatre Arts Program
We are proud to announce, as part of the Theatre Arts Winter Spring 2021 season, a senior thesis production of Bertolt Brecht’s learning play, The Exception and the Rule, directed by James Noonan. A one act play that explores the tensions between a rich oil merchant and his two lowly workers (whom he grows increasingly suspicious of during their trip through the desert), the play touches on themes of class inequality, the realities of extractive capitalism, and the injustices perpetuated by the status quo: themes that feel just as relevant today as they did when Brecht wrote the play 90 years ago. Rehearsals will be a fully collaborative process, as we utilize the theories and exercises proposed by a wide range of left-wing and revolutionary theatre practitioners (such as ones by Augusto Boal, Luis Valdez, and of course Brecht himself) in order to explore the work and experiment with its politics, finding in the process both the story we’re looking to tell and our collective identity as a group.
Rehearsals will be Monday through Thursday evenings from mid-January to the end of February. Live virtual performances will stream the last weekend of February.
What to prepare: In addition to choosing a monologue or scene to perform from the script (excerpts to be sent closer to auditions), we also ask that you prepare a short excerpt of a song to sing acapella. Part of the performance will involve singing, and thus we want to hear your ability to carry a tune. Nothing too extravagant is expected, just a simple tune to demonstrate your range. Happy Birthday is a perfectly acceptable option. Sign up for a timeslot here.