12 OPHELIAS (A PLAY WITH BROKEN SONGS) Announced At Oscar G. Brockett Theatre

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents 12 Ophelias (a play with broken songs) by Caridad Svich, directed by Jess Shoemaker October 2-13, 2019 at the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre.

Shakespeare's Ophelia rises up out of the water, dreaming of Pop-Tarts and other sweet things. She finds herself in a neo-Elizabethan Appalachian setting where Gertrude runs a brothel, Hamlet is called a Rude Boy and nothing is what it seems. In this mirrored world of word-scraps and cold sex, Ophelia cuts a new path for herself.

"12 Ophelias follows the green girl from Shakespeare's Hamlet, but starts the story after Ophelia has pulled herself from a watery grave and begun to walk the jagged path towards recovery," shares director Jess Shoemaker. "The play cracks open something raw and feminine and full of nerve - an energy and story that is both ancient and acutely 'now'. I've also been thinking about personal experiences that pushed me and the women I love into womanhood and the residual rage and grief and joy that comes along with those experiences. This play is a grim and gorgeous celebration of how girls become women."

Jess Shoemaker is a director and playwright currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Directing at The University of Texas at Austin. Her recent directing credits include Flora Circular and Loverboy as part of UTNT (UT New Theatre), as well as Venus is Fur (Great River Shakespeare Festival) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Grandstreet Theatre). Before coming to graduate school and falling madly in love with new work, Shoemaker spent 10 years acting, coaching and teaching classical text. Her own plays have enjoyed extended runs in Chicago and Los Angeles.

12 Ophelias (a play with broken songs) features a powerful cast of University of Texas at Austin students, including Elizabeth George (Ophelia), Cat Palacios (R), Chase Parker (C), Tanner Hudson (Rude Boy), Ashley Bowen (Gertrude), Miguel Ángel Lozano II (H) and Miranda Perkins (Mina), as well as the ensemble, which includes Sultan Abboushi, Amaya Coleman, Kathleen Guererro, Madelyn Martinez, Meagan McCrary and Nick Saldivar.

The production's creative team includes Delena Bradley (Costume Designer), Chris Conard (Scenic Designer), Gursimrat Kaur (Dramaturg), Michael J. Love (Choreographer and Movement Director), Carolina Perez (Sound Designer and Composer), Jess Shoemaker (Director), David Tolin (Technical Director), Kendra S. Wiley (Lighting Designer) and Amariah K. Williams (Stage Manager).

For more information about 12 Ophelias (a play with broken songs), please visit JoinTheDrama.org

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