UA Theatre & Dance delivers a haunting and passionate tale with the Henrik Ibsen classic Ghosts beginning February 22nd in the Allen Bales Theatre.
Anybody can relate to the story of this nineteenth century play. Similar themes have been told in such films as American Beauty, Ordinary People or The Godfather trilogy. What do they all have in common? They are all examples of the realistic family drama.
The story centers around a mother who desperately tries to conceal the painful past of her late, philandering husband from her son. After tremendous efforts, she realizes that you cannot escape from your fears and there are consequences for your actions.
“Those terrible decisions made by the father destroy the rest of the family. We probably know families that have gone through similar situations. I bet every member of the audience is going to know a family that has faced these issues,” commented MFA Director Raines Carr.
Carr has carefully chosen actors who can handle the emotional capacity to tell the story. “Everyone I cast has this intense connection to a past family issue. That’s what I saw in them. I cast people who have a great understanding of the power of family, the “ghosts” of the family.”
He hopes that the audience understands that the only thing they have to fear is fear itself. Carr says, “We create all of this fear. What is the reason behind all of this fear? Why are we afraid of each other? Why are we terrified of everything? I walk outside and it’s not that scary. All I really see is desperation.”
Ghosts will run Monday, February 22 to Saturday February 27 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 28 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and available at theatre.ua.edu, the box office at 205.348.3400 or at the door.
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About UA Theatre & Dance
The University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance (UA Theatre & Dance) became a unified department in 1979. For the past 34 years, UA Theatre & Dance has produced student and faculty directed, performed and designed work. UA Theatre & Dance cultivates the next generation of performing arts professionals through comprehensive undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Visit theatre.ua.edu