3/03/20
NORTH ADAMS, MASS.—The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts theatre program kicks off its spring season
with Suzan-Lori Parks’ compelling “Topdog/Underdog.” The play will be directed by
visiting guest artist Rodney Creech, with student John Archer-Harvey serving as assistant
director.
“Topdog/Underdog” opens on Friday, March 6, with additional shows on March 7, 10, 11, and 12. All performances begin at 8 p.m. There will be additional matinee performances at 2 p.m. on March 7 and 8. A talk-back with Creech and the cast will be held after the March 8 matinee performance.
The play explores the lives of two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, locked in a battle of wits over a game of Three-card Monte while struggling to come to terms with their identities. With her trademark explosive language, Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning comic drama explores the deepest of connections, and what it means to be a family of man. “I can’t say enough how beautifully the play is written… simple, intense, and emotional,” said Creech.
The show will highlight student actors Neo Valentin and Devin A. Gibbs. As the only actors in the play, the pair carry the weight of the entire story. Set inside a literal and metaphorical cage, the piece sees them feeding off each other, facing both external and internal adversity. The show emphasizes the struggles of family, relationships, dysfunction, poverty, and abandonment.
Rodney Creech is pleased to return to MCLA as an adjunct professor in theatre. Over the course of his professional career, he has worked as an actor and a director, and well as an instructor. Directing “Topdog/Underdog” has been a dream of his since the play received national recognition, and was awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize, in 2002. Creech was last seen at MCLA in the 2017 production of “Passing Strange,” playing the role of Stew. He holds a master’s degree in theatre from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pa.
For more information about “Topdog/Underdog” and the MCLA theatre program, contact Jeremy Winchester at jeremy.winchester@mcla.edu or (413) 662-5432, or visit www.mcla.edu/academics/undergraduate/fineandperformingarts/theater
For show publicity images, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/149563972@N02/
About MCLA’s Theatre Program:
The Theatre Program at MCLA develops innovative theatre artists prepared for careers in theatre and graduate study. In the intimate, culturally rich setting of the Berkshires, students hone their craft through intensive studio training and hands-on experience, within the context of their broader liberal arts education. Opportunities for practical experience abound, from courses in acting, directing, design, and production to working alongside a faculty of talented professionals in our award-winning production season. On stage and in the classroom, theatre students at MCLA make theatre of the highest quality, as they explore the rich tradition of this unique, multi-disciplinary art form.
For more information, go to www.mcla.edu/theatre
