“This Is Our Youth” will be performed in the Clarence Brown Theatre’s Lab Theatre October 26 to November 13, 2016. Patrons are encouraged to purchase quickly as performances do sell out. A Pay What You Wish Preview performance will be held Wednesday, October 26, a talk back with the cast will take place Sunday, November 6 following the 2:00 pm matinee, and an Open Captioned performance is on Sunday, November 13 at 2:00 pm. Media sponsors are WUOT, WUTK, and The Daily Beacon.
This production contains strong language and adult themes and is recommended for mature audiences only.
Set in Reagan-era New York, the play follows forty-eight hours in the lives of three wayward adolescents on the cusp of adulthood. Shy 19-year-old Warren has stolen $15,000 from his abusive father and turns to his bullying friend Dennis to hide both him and the money. Dennis then hatches a plan to score a major drug deal with the money, as well as to help romance Jessica, the girl Warren pines for. By turns funny, caustic and compassionate, it is a snapshot of the moment when many young people go out into the world, far less effectual than they could possibly imagine.
Conner Wilson (Director) is a Chicago-based director and Artistic Director of the Commission Theatre Company. Recent Chicago credits include Commission Theatre Co., Arc Theatre, and the Queeroism Play Festival. He has studied directing Shakespeare at the Great River Shakespeare Festival.
The cast is comprised of UT Theatre undergraduate students Emily Cullum (Jessica Goldman), Benjamin Pratt (Warren Straub), and Preston Alexander Raymer (Dennis Ziegler).
The creative team for this production includes: UT MFA candidates Becca Johnson (Scenic Designer), Erin Reed (Costume Designer) and Alice Trent (Lighting Designer); UT Theatre undergraduates Zach Bennett (Sound Designer) and Savannah Smith (Stage Manager).
Two Previews for “This Is Our Youth” are Wednesday, October 26 and Thursday, October 27 followed by Opening Night Friday, October 28. The production runs through November 13. For tickets, call the Clarence Brown Theatre box office at 865-974-5161, Tickets Unlimited at 865-656-4444 or order online 24/7 at www.clarencebrowntheatre.com
This production is part of the Clarence Brown Theatre’s commitment to training. Our Lab Theatre productions are an important part of our dual mission. The production you are about to see is helping to prepare the students in our Master of Fine Arts and undergraduate programs to take their place as theatre artists.
For more information, tickets or accessibility accommodation requests including Open Captioning, American Sign Language, and assistive technologies, please call the CBT Box Office at 865-974-5161 or visit us online at clarencebrowntheatre.com/access. Stay Connected to the Clarence Brown Theatre on Facebook (Clarence Brown Theatre), follow us on Twitter (@ClarenceBrown) (#CBT1617Season) and view Clarence Brown videos on YouTube (Clarence Bro).
###
