Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Aurora, New York—The Wells College Theatre & Dance Department is proud to present the Spring Faculty production, "An Appeal to the Woman of the House," written by Christie Perfetti Williams and directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Siouxsie Easter. 'An Appeal to the Woman of the House' is a new play about the Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It will be performed in Barler Auditorium on the Wells College campus on Friday, February 12, and Saturday, February 13, 2016. The house will open at 7:00 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m.

'An Appeal to the Woman of the House' takes place on one fateful night in 1961 in the farmhouse of Rose and Gideon Walker on the Alabama-Tennessee border. It is just after midnight when David and his fellow lost Freedom Riders knock on the door seeking assistance in the form of a phone and a place to stay until daylight. But Gideon, who knows this is Klan country, is reluctant to let in this band of mixed race college kids until Rose forces him to open the door with the acknowledgement that "they're just babies." What follows is a touching story of race, love, acceptance and learning how to stand up for what you believe.

The playwright, Christie Perfetti Williams, graduated from Wells in 2000, and is a novelist, blogger and multi-award winning playwright. She is the founder and artistic director of the NYC-based theatre company Carnival Girls Productions and the author of "The Carnival Girls: Sadie of the Sideshow, Regular Coffee and Revolutions Per Minute." Her work's been produced in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Tampa, and at her alma mater, Wells College.

The set is designed by Wells College's new Technical Director, Patti Goebel. The lights are designed by Eric Shane, class of 2016. The costumes are designed by Candace Butchino ('17), and the show is stage managed by student Missy Brewer ('16). The cast features six student actors from all disciplines and classes, two professional local actors, and Associate Professor Siouxsie Easter in the role of Rose. Reuben Bryan ('17) is the Assistant Director. The stage crew is made up of both students experienced in technical theatre and those new to the field.

The cast includes Wells students Kim Brighon '17 (Visual Arts), Ed Easter '16 (Political Science), Devon Harris '18 (Political Science), Zach Tripsas '16 (Psychology), Dana Winston-Day '17 (Theatre & Dance), and Kirsten Whistle '19 (Theatre & Dance). Bird Cramer '97 plays SNCC leader Susan Katz. Professional singer Steven Stull plays Old Man Skinner. Associate Professor Siouxsie Easter rounds out the cast as Rose, the woman of the house.

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