Austin College theatre students will present the play, Heptagon of Hope, as part of the Austin College Student Scholarship Conference on Friday, March 24, at 7 p.m. in Ida Green Theatre of Ida Green Communication Center. The production is free and open to the public.
Elizabeth Parks, visiting assistant professor of theatre, directs the play, which is a devised work. “Devised theatre is a form of collaborative play-making,” she explained. “It can begin with a hunch, a question, an image, anything. Physical and textual narratives are then shaped by improvisation, research, and fierce determination. The result is an original script and performance. Some of devised theatre’s more celebrated companies include: The Tectonic Theatre Project, Margolis Brown Adaptors, Rude Mechanicals, and Frantic Assembly.”
Heptagon of Hope explores society’s obsession and dependency on the Internet. “The story revolves around a pair of Internet lovers who only know each other via chatrooms,” Parks said. “Their connection is cut short when the Internet goes down, and their fate is left to seven strangers working to restore the Internet? What happens if they can’t turn the world back on? What does that mean for humanity, for our way of life, for our survival?”
The play was written by Angie Chung of Carrollton, Texas; Caroline Gil of Dallas, Texas; Jessica Hayden of Dallas, Texas; Riley Kippes of Flower Mound, Texas; Brandt Lawson of Garland, Texas; Brian Lazarow of Cameron, Texas; Adam Lehman of Iowa Park, Texas; Brandon Mai of Garland, Texas; Evan Murphy of Jacksonville, Texas; Jack Perkins of Savoy, Texas; Sarah Williams of McKinney, Texas; Carolyn Yao of Frisco, Texas; and Brittany Zhang of Xian City, China.
Members of the cast are Ruth Clason of Irving, Texas; Christopher Cooper of Midland, Texas; Truitt Glover of Corpus Christi, Texas; Emma Grundy of Wichita Falls, Texas; Holly Kapp of Dodd City, Texas; Noelle Low of Sunnyvale, Texas; Brian Lazarow of Cameron, Texas; and Hayden Soika of Flower Mound, Texas.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.