FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 16, 2006

Contact: Mandy Rey

(662) 329-7119

 

MUW to present ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’

 

COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Department of Music and Theatre at Mississippi University for Women will present the Spanish tragedy “The House of Bernarda Alba,” by Federico Garcia Lorca, Oct. 26-28.

All performances will be in the Cromwell Theatre, Harvey Cromwell Communications Center, located on the corner of Sixth Avenue South and Ninth Street South.

The cast will also give a special performance in Starkville as part of the American College Theatre Festival, Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. in the McComas Auditorium on the Mississippi State University campus.

According to producer William “Peppy” Biddy, Music and Theatre department chair and professor of theatre, “The play chronicles the power struggle between a domineering tyrant of a mother and her five daughters seething with jealousy and hidden passion.”

Biddy also serves as the vocal and movement coach for the production, and MUW faculty member, David Carter, instructor of theatre, is working oversee all designers for the production.

Scene designer and play lead Brittany Harper said, “We’re all committed to doing justice to this amazing piece of literature. Our department has worked hard to bring Lorca’s beautiful, terrible world to life. We can’t wait to share it with our audience.”

The cast includes Brittany Harper of Columbus as Bernarda and Patricia Talavera of Picayune as La Poncia. Other cast members include Maria Josefa (Drue Hickox of Decatur), Angustias (Amy Harwell of Germantown, Tenn.), Magdalena (Kate Chamblee of Fulton), Amelia (Aja Wilson of Las Vegas, Nev.), Martirio (Twiggy Fiala of Pleasanton, Calif.), Adela (Tracy Power of Columbus), Maid (Heather Rollison of Hamilton), Prudencia (Kat Magana of Pass Christian and Jennifer Hayward of Columbus), Beggar (Jacqueline Doss of Columbus), First Woman (Faith Oyler of Columbus), Second Woman (Noel McCann of Gautier), Third Woman (Sara Cohen of Louisville), Fourth Woman (Jessica McClammy of Gulfport), Girl One (Leteria Holt of Columbus) and Girl Two (Rachel Langley of Houston).

Members of the crew include director Brook Hanemann of Bogalusa, La., as director, Sarah Hickox of Decatur as stage manager and Jonathan Bailey of Saltillo as assistant stage manager. Other members of the crew are Brittany Harper of Columbus as scene designer, Patricia Talavera of Picayune as costume designer, Drue Hickox of Decatur as costume builder, Whit Johns of Pass Christian as lighting designer, Logan Williams of Meridian as sound designer, Jeremy Nonnemacher of Jackson as props master and Brenda Mayo of Starkville for make-up.

Student tickets are $5 and general admission tickets are $7 in advance and can be purchased in Shattuck Hall. General Admission tickets can also be purchased at the door for $10. For more information, call (662) 329-7260 or (662) 329-7162.