Meadville, Pa. – Sept. 2, 2008 – The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre opens its 2008-2009 season with an evening of two original one-act plays that address issues of diversity and transformation in American life: “Swapping Broomsticks for Muskets: Women of the Civil War” and “Color Me White.”
The performances begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, in the Playshop Theatre, which is located in Arter Hall on the Allegheny College campus.
These two productions signal the start of an historic season, as the Communication Arts and Theatre department and its producing company, the Playshop Theatre, move later this year from Arter Hall to the new Vukovich Center for Communication Arts.
“Broomsticks for Muskets” is based on the stories of four real 19th-century women who dressed as men in order to fight in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The work was compiled by Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Theatre Meg Coyle from diaries, memoirs, letters and accounts of the Civil War written by people who lived through this dark period of our nation's history.
The stories of women soldiers in the Civil War are overlooked by many who study the struggle, due both to the relatively small number of known participants and their unlikely behavior in a period when women were restricted by codified and exacting social rules. Historians can document the names of more than 400 women who dressed as men and traveled with the armies on both sides of the conflict but speculate that many more nameless women chose to join the war effort rather than stay at home and wait for the outcome to be decided by others.
Meg Coyle directs the production of “Broomsticks for Muskets.” The cast includes Emily Larimore (Wexford, Pa.), Christine La Rochelle (Meadville, Pa.), Kat Murphy (Lutherville, Md.), Corey O'Connor (Pittsburgh) and Jacquelyn Shannon (Houston).
“Color Me White” is a new piece written and performed by Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Theatre Dan Crozier. It investigates a white, middle-aged male's attempts to broaden his cultural horizons. The play is directed by Roberta Levine.
LeAnne Kurela (Hinckley, Ohio) is the stage manager for both productions.
Tickets for both performances are $7.50 for adults; $5 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. Admission is free for Allegheny students with identification. Audiences should note that the production contains language and situations some may find offensive. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre Box Office at (814) 332-3414.
