The Department of Theater, Film, and Media Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland announces performances of “Beyond the Sunset: Unearthing the Stories of St. Mary’s” beginning April 18 and running through April 21 at 8 p.m., with the final performance on April 22 at 2 p.m. All performances take place in the Bruce Davis Theater, Montgomery Hall Fine Arts Center, on the College campus.
Directed by Amy Steiger, assistant professor of theater, film, and media studies, the play follows roommates Diana and Judy who are just getting started as St. Mary’s College students when a hurricane blows their dorm across Mattapany Road. After they and their friends land in an archaeological dig, scattering artifacts hither and yon, they look toward campus to see a place they don’t recognize: gray, dusty, and falling apart. A benevolent and mysterious staff member sends them on a journey to find the displaced objects and recover the St. Mary’s Way.
This play, a poignant but funny twist on “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” was written in a fall 2017 course on community based theater. It was built from interviews and story circles with members of the St. Mary’s College community to start conversations about how issues in the world affect campus experiences. The play is not recommended for children under the age of 14.
To reserve tickets, contact the Theater Box Office at 240-895-4243 or email boxoffice@smcm.edu. Ticket prices are $4 for St. Mary’s College students, faculty, staff, and senior citizens and Arts Alliance members; $6, general admission. Patrons must pick up their reserved tickets at the Box Office window by 7:50 p.m. for evening performances and by 1:50 p.m. for matinee performances; otherwise, unclaimed tickets will be released for sale.