Purdue News

February 19, 1999 Actors mingle with audience in 'The Serpent' WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- "The Serpent," an ensemble piece in which the actors attempt to become one with the audience, will be presented Feb. 25-27 as part of Purdue Theatre's Second Season productions. "The Serpent" is a product of the concept of open theater, a belief that theater should be about the audience-actor relationship and not encumbered with technical aspects. When first presented three decades ago, its playwright, Jean-Claude van Itallie, said, "It is such an abstract piece, it attempts to break some kind of barriers of theatrical form." The play tells the Biblical story of Genesis, following the narrative of the original, while repudiating many of its assumptions. The play reflects van Itallie's belief in live theater's original religious function of bringing people together in a community ceremony where actors and audience participate in a kind of eucharist. Together, the actors and audience confront the questions: "Where are we?" and "Where have we been?" "The Serpent " will be presented at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, plus a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday, in the Black Box Theatre, Creative Arts Building 3. All tickets are $5 and are available at the Loeb Box Office, (765) 494-3933. The cast of 10 students is directed by Richard Sullivan Lee, associate professor of theater. CONTACT: Lori Sparger, Purdue Theatre publicist, (765) 494-3084; e-mail, theatre@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page