Ursinus College Theater presents ‘God of Carnage’ and ‘Agnes of God’

Ursinus College theater continues to explore its 2018-2019 theme of truth with its two plays, “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza translated by Christopher Hampton and “Agnes of God” by John Pielmeier. This is the first time Ursinus is running two plays in repertory on the same stage.

“God of Carnage” performances are in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus College campus on Wednesday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 2, at 2 p.m.

“Agnes of God” performances are also in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus College campus on Thursday, February 28, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m.

In “God of Carnage,” two sets of parents cannot agree upon the truth about a squabble amongst their children; their conversation devolves quickly into violence. In “Agnes of God,” a young nun has given birth, but the characters and the audience do not know the truth regarding the circumstances of conception.

These productions are directed by Professor of Theater Domenick Scudera, who says, “Both plays show how the same incident may be viewed differently, depending on the viewer. In other words, truth is treated as subjective–something we see more often in our public discourse lately. When this happens, communication breaks down because people do not agree on an absolute truth.”

Scudera explains the goal for students in producing the plays in repertory: “These are two shows with small casts. Doing the shows in repertory gives more opportunities for more actors to play strong, three-dimensional characters. The repertory component allows us to challenge our students working on the technical aspects of the play. I am hopeful that the experience will also give the students a glimpse into how professional companies sometimes operate and will provide new challenges in productive collaboration.”

Scudera is joined by a seasoned group of professional artists from the Philadelphia area theater community. Although the casts for the shows differ, the production team will be the same for both productions. Meghan Jones is the technical director; Carly Williams is designing the set; Brian Strachan is designing costumes; and Alyssandra Docherty is designing the lighting.

Tickets are $8 for the general public and $5 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased online at ursinus. edu/tickets and they will be available at the box office before the show. For inquiries, please contact boxoffice@ ursinus.edu or (610) 4093030.