Three contemporary American plays performed in rotating repertory

The Division of Theatre presents three contemporary American plays in rotation over a two-week period. This year’s selections are Marisol by José Rivera, Middletown by Will Eno and This by Melissa James Gibson.

Performances will be held in the Margo Jones Theatre in SMU's Owen Arts Center. Tickets are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for faculty & staff, and $5 for students

“This” by Melissa James Gibson Repertory Play #1
Four friends in their late thirties face the trials and tribulations of major life events with an eye toward quickly approaching middle-age. Playwright Melissa Gibson plays games with viewers’ thoughts and expectations through a combination of wit and melancholy comedy. “The play’s delicate pace, richly patterned wordplay and undercurrent of rue combine to cast a moving spell that lingers in the memory, like a sad-sweet pop song whose chorus you can’t shake,” says The New York Times.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Friday, April 25, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 8:00 pm

“Middletown” by Will Eno Repertory Play #2
Welcome to Middletown, where you can eavesdrop on the kind of conversations and insights usually left unsaid.  Inspired by Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Eno provides a twist by having the villagers reveal their innermost fears and piercing life observations as if they were ordinary tidbits of conversation.  The play unfolds in a series of vignettes depicting encounters between seemingly unexceptional people that are surprisingly thought-provoking. The New York Times writes, “Middletown glimmers from start to finish with tart, funny, gorgeous little comments on big things: the need for love and forgiveness, the search for meaning in life, the long, lonely ache of disappointment.”
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, April 26, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm

“Marisol” by Jose Rivera Repertory Play #3
When 26-year-old Marisol Perez is attacked on the subway and rescued by a guardian angel, we are introduced to a world gone wild where food is scarce, pollution is plentiful and violence rules.  On her journey, Marisol meets a series of bizarre characters, including a homeless man in a wheelchair in search of his lost skin and a woman beaten by police because she exceeded her credit card limit. Backstage describes this “thrill ride” as both darkly humorous and a commentary on social injustice that is “consistently fascinating.”
Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, April 27, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Friday, May 2, 2014 at 8:00 pm