HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 31, 2012 – It’s a delightful new comedy about an ambitious young real estate agent who acquires an unusual pair of glasses that gives him the ability to see the hidden flaws, fears and fantasies of the people around him – and it’s exactly the kind of play that gained the right kind of attention to win the first ever “High Point University New Play Contest.”
“The Glasses,” written by Ron Burch, will be held on Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26 in the Pauline Theatre in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center on the HPU campus. The production is open to the public.
Ed Simpson, chair of the Department of Theatre and professor of theatre at HPU, who is directing the production, began the play contest as part of a Think Big grant he received in 2010 – allowing students to mount another premiere production of a new play. The competition invited writers to submit their plays in the hopes that it would ultimately be produced on a stage.
“We had 88 plays submitted from all over the country – plus a few from overseas,” Simpson says. “We had a group of theatre professionals – directors, writers, actors and educators – who served as readers of the submitted plays. They rated the plays and made recommendations to the faculty of the HPU Department of Theatre, who then made the final decision from a group of eight finalists. It was an exhaustive process, but very rewarding.”
While the majority of plays came from professional writers from all over, it was Burch’s play that really stood out, Simpson says.
“It was funny, quirky and very inventive,” Simpson says. “It’s a farce – a broad, slapstick comedy, and it is a kind of play that is very difficult to perform. But, it’s a style of play that our students need to experience.”
In fact, Simpson says the production will be tough – considering the play has never before been performed on stage.
“The play is very challenging for all of us – especially the actors,” Simpson says. “They are bringing life to a new work – something that has yet to be tested in front of an audience. In some ways, the characters are being molded by the actor as the playwright responds to the work of the actor as they interpret his words.”
But actors in “The Glasses” are up for the challenge. The play stars seniors Daniel Harr, Cate Lightburn and Alex Mathis; sophomore Jared Goldenberg; and freshmen Nickolas Ogle, Stephen Sargent and Fiona White.
Simpson says Burch has already visited campus a few times to work with the students on the script, and he will return for opening night on Feb. 16.
Show times for the play are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25, and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 19 and Feb. 26. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $7 for senior citizens, $5 for students and $3 for children 12 and under. Those interested in purchasing tickets may contact the HPU box office at Hayworth Fine Arts Center at 336-841-4673.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
# # # Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]