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In the dystopian society of The Tasters, Tasters eat three square meals a day of delicious, gourmet foods, while a hunger crisis wreaks havoc on the world outside their doors. The catch? The food they’re eating could contain a fast-acting poison, which they are employed to detect before the meals are sent to the “Great Leaders” – the ruthless rulers of their society. To playwright Meghan Brown, The Tasters was an exploration of the dangers of complicity. What does it mean that those who protect the order of things are rewarded with delicious food amidst hunger? What power does one individual have against these systems? How do these characters relate to our world today?

Continue Reading An Interview with the Playwright Behind THE TASTERS

Meet the cast of The Tasters, Meghan Brown’s darkly funny, sharp new play coming to the B. Iden Payne Theatre this November. With government leaders getting poisoned left and right, the Tasters in Brown’s dystopian world have an important job — eating delicious, gourmet meals and then waiting to see if they die. When one rebellious Taster goes on hunger strike, the reverberation of her choice threatens to disrupt the order of their world and change the course of history. Equal parts Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale and Food Network, this play explores the nuances of political resistance, self-interest and individual action taken to create hope in the face of hopelessness.

Continue Reading Meet the Cast: THE TASTERS

José Rivera’s Sonnets for an Old Century blends the lived experiences of a patchwork of souls from across the United States through a series of exquisitely written monologues. The unique anthology-style script provided opportunities for deep character work and creative staging by director Corey Allen and associate director Braxton Rae, brought to fruition on the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre as the Department of Theatre and Dance’s first in-person production in over a year. To learn more about the process of bringing this poignant piece of theatre to life, we spoke with the directing duo and actors Sophie Miller, Se’An Boatner and Jared VosWinkel about the lessons they’ve learned from the characters of Sonnets and the shared excitement they’ve felt at being able to create in a room together once again.

Continue Reading A Look at Bringing SONNETS FOR AN OLD CENTURY to Life