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Georgia Southern Theatre & Performance to Present “An Octoroon”

The Georgia Southern Theatre & Performance Program will present its adaptation of “An Octoroon,” Nov. 8-15 in the Black Box Theatre.

Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, “An Octoroon,” is an Obie Award-winning, radical adaptation of Dion Boucicault’s 1859 melodrama “The Octoroon.” The play explores the place where the antebellum south and 21st century cultural politics collide.

Georgia Southern’s adaptation will be directed by Assistant Professor Nicholas Newell. “An Octoroon” will highlight the politically insensitive language and character constructions found in the original play and will turn the audience’s discomfort to laughter as it deconstructs the ideas of race.

As the family of the Terrebone plantation faces foreclosure and fights for their survival, quixotic characters like the drunken Irish ghost of the original writer and a mysterious bunny join the crowd on stage.

“Jacobs-Jenkins writes brilliantly about race in America, and the cultural legacy employed in the service of tyranny since the earliest days of this nation. He knows how to curse through stereotypes and rip apart the fault lines of representation,” said the Chicago Tribune.

“An Octoroon” opens Wednesday, Nov. 8, and runs through Wednesday, Nov. 15. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. There will be no show on Monday, Nov. 13. “An Octoroon” features mature themes and language.

Immediately following the opening show, all mature audiences are invited to join in an interdisciplinary panel discussion about race and theatre. Obie Award-winner Woodie King Jr. and Georgia Southern Professor Emeritus Mical Whitaker will lead the panel.

To further explore the intricate world of melodrama and the influence of Boucicault on American theatre, the Theatre & Performance Program will host pre-show talks for mature audiences.

On Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., join University faculty from the Center for Irish Research and Teaching Howard Keeley, Ph.D., and Dustin Anderson, Ph.D., for a panel discussion about Boucicault’s works, and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the premiere of Boucicault’s “The Octoroon” in the Center for Art & Theatre.

Assistant Professor of Theatre Sarah McCarroll, Ph.D., will host a pre-show talk about this sensational genre on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. in the Center for Art & Theatre lower lobby.

Student and youth tickets are $6. Faculty, staff and community tickets are $12. All seating is general admission. Group prices are available. The house opens at 7 p.m., but audience members are encouraged to arrive no later than 7:15 p.m. to ensure seating. The balcony will serve as late and overflow seating.

For ticket information and reservations, call the Box Office at (912) 478-5379 or stop by Monday through Friday, 3-5 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/cat/season.

Theatre & Performance Productions are made possible through funding from Student Activity Fees.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers 118 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.

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