Ever feel like having scotch for breakfast? The student-produced extension of the West Virginia University School of Theatre & Dance season – LAB Theatre – will present its first fall show, “Sunday on the Rocks” by contemporary playwright Theresa Rebeck, Oct 25-27 in the Vivian Davis Michael Laboratory Theatre located in the Creative Arts Center.

In “Sunday on the Rocks,” four very different housemates decide to deal with their varied problems one Sunday morning in October with a healthy dose of scotch. Elly is pregnant and unsure of the path she should take. Jen is being bombarded with affection by a coworker. Gayle is feeling a bit lost. And Jessica, a religious young woman, has little compassion for her beleaguered roommates. Though the ladies have their ups and downs, their past and present situations are handled with good humor as they try to cope with adult life in the mid-1990s.

Acclaimed playwright Theresa Rebeck’s other works include “Seminar,” “Spike Heels,” “Loose Knit” and the NBC drama “Smash.”

WVU theatre professor Jim Knipple is the director of the LAB Theatre Program and has brought some fresh ideas to the table about how students can be involved in creating their own theatre, providing even more creative opportunities within the School of Theatre & Dance.

“We are extremely excited to kick off the 2013 LAB season with ‘Sunday on the Rocks,’” Knipple said. “Theresa Rebeck writes fantastic stories for audiences and parts for actors, and the team that has been assembled is a top-notch group of student artists.”

LAB Theatre is student-produced and student-driven, with students embracing limitation as the gateway to innovation. The budget for the program is kept purposely low, and in turn, gives students unlimited freedom with their creativity and imagination.

In place of a traditional director, the actors for this production have decided on an ensemble-based approach, led by project leader Cynthia Nwoko, junior BFA Acting student.

“About two years ago, I read a Theresa Rebeck play called ‘The Family of Mann’ and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to look into her other plays,” Nwoko said. “I fell in love with her work, and read every single play of hers I could get my hands on. ‘Sunday on the Rocks’ is my favorite, and when I read it I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. I thought about directing it and then being in it, but then it hit me: the play is about four women coexisting in a household; four different women with different views of the world. So, I decided to make it a group project. I couldn’t imagine doing this show any other way.”

“Sunday on the Rocks” features theatre students Lauren Waldron as Elly, Kelsey Musselman as Gayle, Cynthia Nwoko as Jen, and Aneesa Neibauer as Jessica. Lighting design is by BFA design/tech student Daniel del Busto.

“Sunday on the Rocks” is in the Vivian Davis Michael Laboratory Theatre Oct. 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

Admission is free, but seating is limited. The show contains strong language; parental guidance is advised.

For more information on this production of “Sunday on the Rocks” please visit theatre.wvu.edu, call 304-293-2020, or email theatre@mail.wvu.edu.

An ongoing rehearsal blog is available on the School of Theatre & Dance website at http://ccarts.wvu.edu/theatreanddanceblog.

-WVU-

cl/10/24/13

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304.293.4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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