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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:
October 16, 2012
Photos available on Oct. 26, 2012
For further information contact:
Christi Courian
Jim Beaver
[email protected] [email protected]
541-552-6347
541-552-6093
Southern Oregon University Department of Performing Arts
presents “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekov
(Ashland, Ore.) – The Theatre Arts program of the Department of Performing Arts at Southern
Oregon University presents a new adaptation of “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekov in the Center
Stage Theatre on the SOU campus. The adaptation is by Libby Appel, former Artistic Director of
the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Performances are at 8 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 8-10
and Nov. 15-17 and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 and Sunday, Nov. 18.
Upon the death of their father, three sisters and their brother yearn to leave their estate in the
country and return to their intellectual and cultural lives in Moscow. Like all young people, they
have hopes and dreams for a beautiful and meaningful future. But their aspirations are affected
by their new circumstances and new companions.
“All the characters in the play are grappling with one kind of loss or another: loss of love, loss of
hope, loss of purpose, loss of family, loss of health, loss of memory, loss of wealth, loss of
culture, loss of privacy, loss of home,” said Scott Kaiser, guest director. “Yet, despite these
losses, the characters persevere, seeking meaning and joy in their lives.”
Ryan Callahan, a Theatre Arts major and scenic designer for “Three Sisters,” noted that
inspiration for his scenic design came from The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, “where
seemingly endless photographs displayed in black frames side by side tower over spectators.
Directly from this, the scenic design developed into multi-layered walls of transparent, empty
picture frames. How better to establish loss than an empty picture frame.”
“Moscow is for the sisters what Broadway is for a lot of young actors – a place of dreams which
will probably never be realized,” said Sarah Martin, a Theatre Arts major who designed
costumes for the production. “The inspiration for the costumes has come from everywhere –
some pieces are straight out of museums, while other ideas come from comments on Project
Runway.”
Scott Kaiser is Director of Company Development/Head of Voice and Text at the Oregon
Shakespeare Festival. “Three Sisters” is his fifth production as a director at SOU. Previously, he
directed William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” Phillip Barry’s “The Philadelphia Story,”
Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts” and Jane Martin’s “Anton in Show Business.”
Chelsea Acker plays Masha, Hannah Gassaway plays Olga, Rachel Seeley plays Irina and Darek
Riley plays Andrey. The ensemble includes Halli Gibson, Spencer Hamilton, Nash Haschall,
Scott Key, Tyler Kubat, Laurel Livezey, Ford Murawski-Brown, Joe Murley, Stephanie
Neuerburg, Zlato Rizzioli, Henry Steelhammer and Samuel Wick. Scenic design is by Ryan
Callahan, costumes are designed by Sarah Martin, lighting design is by Danielle Leigh Hicks and
sound design is by Jeffrey Hayes. Molly Norris is the stage manager.
Tickets are $21 regular, $18 senior, and $6 for students. Subscribers to three or more plays
receive a discounted price of $17 regular and $15 senior. The Performing Arts Box Office is
located in the Theatre Arts Building lobby. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets can be purchased with a credit
card over the phone by calling 541-552-6348 or online at sou.edu/performingarts. For more
information, visit sou.edu/theatre.
– SOU –