Cal Poly to Present Theatrical Production ‘The Other Shore’ Feb. 26-March 7
Cal Poly’s Theatre and Dance Department will present Nobel Prize-winner Gao Xingjian’s “The Other Shore” at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 26-28, and March 5-7, in the Spanos Theatre on campus.
The experimental production is a journey of human experience toward enlightenment or “the other shore.” Through the use of games, sounds, gestures and words, the actors create a series of episodes showcasing the struggle between the human collective consciousness and the idea of being an individual.
In the production, audience members are travelers as well, finding themselves immersed in a nontraditional environment onstage for the duration of the play.
Pictured (L-R): Rachel Murphy, Bridget Losey, Chris Rioran, Sabrina Orro.
Photo: Ian Billings
“According to Gao, the great ‘potential’ of the piece is how it allows drama to exist in simple, everyday life and to endow aspects of life with a sense of theatricality,” said Josh Machamer, Cal Poly theatre professor and director of the performance.
Xingjian is a renowned and celebrated playwright, novelist and critic. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2000. His plays are avant-garde and experimental in nature.
“The Other Shore” features the work of Theatre & Dance Department faculty and staff members Thomas J. Bernard (costume design), Clint Bryson (technical direction), Sarah Bryan (costume shop supervision), and Pegi Marshall-Amundsen (set and lighting design). Approximately 40 students from a variety of majors helped with construction, backstage work, management and performance.
Tickets are $20 for the public and $12 for students, senior citizens and children. Audience members should be aware that stationary and portable backless padded crates will be used as part of the non-traditional, limited-seating environment. Due to the intimate nature of the play, there will be no late seating.
Tickets are available at the Cal Poly Ticket Office between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday throughSaturday. To order by phone, call 805-SLO-4TIX (805-756-4849).
The performance is sponsored by Cal Poly’s Theatre & Dance Department, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Instructionally Related Activities Program.