“Big Love” – a Play by the Theater Art’s Department, Coming Soon
By Emma Pratt
espratt98@gmail.com
City College’s theater arts department is putting on a show!
“Big Love” isn’t for the faint of heart – the play touches on themes of love, gender politics and domestic violence. Director and City College theater art’s department instructor, Patricia Miller, has steered the play toward a more contemporary expression of American playwright Charles L. Mee’s “Big Love.” Mee’s well-known play is based on Aeschylus’s “The Suppliant Women” which was written around 420 BCE. In other words, a long, long time ago.
Actors must be enrolled in one of 3 theater art’s department classes – Ensemble Role Classical, Supporting Role Classic, or Principal Role Classic – to participate in the play. Many of the actors are passionate and skilled enough to continue their theater art’s studies at a 4-year institution, or as a professional career, said Miller.
Auditions and rehearsals started in January at the Ocean Campus, in time for the show’s debut in late April. Opening night will be on April 28th at 7:30pm, followed by a Saturday night show on April 29th at 7:30pm, and a matinee show on April 30th at 1pm.
Z Space, “a multifaceted performance space,” at 450 Florida Street in the Mission district, will host all 3 “Big Love” performances. City College’s campus theater was unfortunately destroyed during stormy weather, said Miller. Ordinarily, the beloved campus theater would be where performers take the stage and audience members take their seats.
In Big Love’s contemporary pursuit of marriage, love and sex, “50 brides flee 50 grooms to an Italian villa worthy of “White Lotus.” The men in hot pursuit jettison in by helicopter and find resistance and submission, love and murder, passionate lovers and a trio of Italian Grandmothers,” writes Miller of the play’s storyline in an official press release.
Miller also carefully warns that “Big Love” is for mature audiences only – 16 years and up. Admission is $15 or free with a City College ID!