Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Called "the play for the 21st century," God's Ear comes to Cornell sparkling from its Off Broadway success. An invention of talented emerging New York City playwright Jenny Schwartz '97, the play is about a family suffering after a child dies but focuses less on the story but on the space between what's said aloud and what's unspeakable. God's Ear opens October 22 and runs through November 2 in the Cornell Schwartz Center's Class of '56 Flexible Theatre.

Guest Director Ken Rus Schmoll went to graduate school at Columbia with the playwright. "Jenny tells stories in a different way. She weaves recycled thoughts and language together that, when combined, express something unexpectedly greater than the sum of their parts," he says. "Although this play is about a universal idea of grief, it's also an examination of 'aliveness.' It is by turns humorous, nerve wracking, and moving." Schmoll directed Schwartz's earlier play Cause for Alarm at the New York International Fringe Festival.

In God's Ear, Mel (played by guest artist Kelly Mares) and Ted (RPTA Michael Kaplan), reeling from the death of their child, spend the play showing the inability of language to convey emotional meaning. Although poignant, the play is also wickedly funny and witty. Mares and Kaplan are joined by Cornell students Nathalie Berman, Amanda Idoko, James Miller, Sarah Robinson, Aaron Sprecher, and Alexander Symes. Mares and Kaplan have performed on stage in New York City and regionally. Mares appeared at the Roundabout in The Women with Cynthia Nixon, Kristen Johnson, Jennifer Tilly and Rue McClanahan.

 

In celebration of its 20th anniversary season, the Schwartz Center also welcomes back two alumni designers for this production -- Neal Becker '05 (set) and Sara Clemens '05 (sound). Rounding out the design team are resident artists E.D. Intemann (lights) and Richard MacPike (costumes).

Evening performances of God's Ear are October 22-26 at 7:30 pm and October 29-November 1 at 7:30 PM. Three matinees will be offered at 2 pm on October 26, November 1-2. A post-show discussion with actors and designers will be offered October 30.

 

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