Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department presents "Polaroid Stories"
The Nazareth College Theatre and Dance Department is proud to present Polaroid Stories by Naomi lizuka. Combining Greek mythology with the real life stories of teenage runaways, Polaroid Stories will play in Studio A48 on Thursday, February 13 and Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
THE PERFORMANCE
A visceral blend of classical mythology and real life stories told by street kids, Naomi lizuka's Polaroid Stories journeys into a dangerous world where myth-making fulfills a fierce need for transcendence, where storytelling has the power to transform a reality in which characters' lives are continually threatened, devalued, and effaced. Informed by interviews with young prostitutes and street kids, Polaroid Stories conveys a whirlwind of psychic disturbance, confusion and longing. Like their mythic counterparts, these modem-day mortals are engulfed by needs that burn and consume. Their language mixes poetry and profanity, imbuing the play with lyricism and great theatrical force.
"It's a play where the lights and sounds are characters. They're so intensively involved in this show and It's just as integral to the plot and the performance itself as a lead." explains Nazareth College professor and director Lindsay Reading Korth. To establish the story, playwright Naomi lizuka molded elements from real life interviews with teenage runaways with Greek mythology, drawing inspiration from Ovid's Metamorphoses. Lizuka describes struggles in the world of the runaways as they battle addiction and sex trafficking among other issues.
Jeff Footer, a Nazareth College adjunct in social work and a drug addiction counselor, came to talk to the cast about what these runaways face including the struggles and the sad truths about their day-to-day lives. Footer will give a post-show talk back at the 2 p.m. show on Saturday, February 15. After speaking to the cast, Korth asked them to reflect on his words and dig deep into their own experiences. She explained they had to personalize their performance to draw from their own lives, "and the scenes dramatically came to life," said Korth. "That's really exciting and the student actor doesn't forget that experience."
"I think that it's really important that we're tackling poverty, addiction, and abuse in a sensitive and nuanced way," Nazareth College student and assistant director Jared Curtis comments, "I hope that we can further bring these issues forward for change."
The play uses well-known figures from Greek mythology such as the lure of Hades (represented as "G") and the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice to convey heartbreaking reality. The characters are stuck following a never ending labyrinth of desire, fast-paced lives, and identity changes. "We live in the labyrinth." says Korth, reflecting on the reality that we all are stuck in a never ending battle like these characters, "who knows what the future will bring."
POST-SHOW TALKBACK
Jeffery Footer, LMSW CASAC-G Addiction Therapist and Nazareth College adjunct professor in social work, will give a talk-back following the 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, February 15.
TICKETS
Tickets to see Polaroid Stories are $12, $10 for seniors and are available online at artscenter.naz.edu, by phone at (585) 389-2170, or in person at the Nazareth College Arts Center Box Office at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, N.Y. 14618.
Regular box office hours are Monday-Friday, 11 a m.- 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. until curtain time on performance days.
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
The Polaroid Stories cast features: Dwight Young (D), Daniyah Prosser (Eurydice), Olivia Heskett (Persephone), Ismael Cisse (Orpheus), Felicity Thomas (Philomel), Alex Irejo (SKINHEADgirl), Nash Johns (Narcissus), Violet Moncavage (Echo), Caldwell Lowell (SKINHEADboy), and Demetrio Alomar (G).
The Polaroid Stories design team consists of Lindsay Korth (director), Jared Curtis (assistant director), Sam Burkovich (stage manager), Mattie Matthews-Austin (assistant stage manager), Darren Valdera (assistant stage manager), Allen Shannon (scenic designer), Alex Anthony (production manager), Annie Skinner (technical director), Emily Stork (sound designer), Maddi Pike (assistant sound designer), Jacob Beha (lighting designer), Erika Gordon (costume designer), Yuanting Zhao (department head), Mary Farmer (costume shop supervisor), April Laskey (dramaturg), Jace Meyer-Crosby (Intimacy Director), Jeff Footer (addiction expert), Silas Holtz (fight choreographer), and Beibei Ding (scenic charge).
For More Information
Michelle Shippers | Marketing & Publicity Manager | 585-389-2093 or mshippe0@naz.edu |
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
