West Liberty, W.Va., Feb. 16, 2018 — The West Liberty University Hilltop Players will offer theatre fans the opportunity to enjoy a world premiere of the new play “18 Victoria” by Cody Daigle-Orians this February at Kelly Theatre.
A Louisiana-born playwright, educator and arts programmer, Daigle-Orians is now living in Hartford, Conn. and will attend the opening night performance. The audience will have a chance to meet him at a coffee and pastries reception just after the Feb. 22 show.
The new production uses a trio of interlocking monologues to tell the story of three siblings — Ben, Catherine and Stephen — who are struggling to piece together their broken family relationship in the wake of their father’s untimely death. But a larger crisis looms.
The need to come to grips is intensified due to the news that a huge asteroid is projected to collide with the earth in less than three weeks, setting off devastating consequences for life on earth. The three siblings scramble to mend their family ties and make sense of the devastating secret that originally tore them apart.
A huge asteroid is projected to collide with the earth in less than three weeks, setting off devastating consequences for life on earth. The three siblings attempt to mend their family ties and make sense of the devastating secret that originally tore them apart in the brief time left until the destruction of the earth.
Maggie Balsley, who is professor of voice in WLU’s College of Arts and Communication, has worked with the small cast of three student performers to tell the story of siblings who are trying to deal with dark happenings in the past that fractured their family.
From left Alex Gordon, Grant VanCamp and Calllie Carroll are shown in limbo in a slide used in the projections of the show, according to director Maggie Balsley.
Callie Carroll, a junior theatre major from Morgantown will be playing Catherine and Grant VanCamp, a sophomore theatre major from Follansbee, will play Ben.
The third character, Stephen, will be portrayed by recent graduate Alex Gordon of Wheeling, who majored in music technology with a piano emphasis. Gordon also composed the original music score.
The set designer for “18 Victoria” is Chris Rees, a junior theatre major from Follansbee and the lighting and projection design is by Alex Franke, a senior theatre and human biology major from Wheeling. Senior theater major Ingrid Young also is involved in the production, performing the duties of photographer. She is from Martinsburg, W.Va.
As the characters share their stories of facing the last days of the human race, they also grapple with memories of their father, a troubled childhood, and their shared inability to connect as adults. In an apocalyptic present, it’s the wreckage of the past that endures.
Times and dates for “18 Victoria” are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22-23 and March 1 – 3 and 3 p.m., Sunday, March 4.
Tickets for all Hilltop Players productions are available through Brown Paper Tickets online. For more information, please call the box office at 304.336.8277.
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