Theatre Wesleyan To Present Original Musical BIBLIOPHILIA

Theatre Wesleyan will present a Senior BFA Project production of Bibliophilia, or The Orature Festival at the Thad Smotherman Theatre at Texas Wesleyan University (1205 Binkley Street, 76105) from March 12-14. This new original musical will also be available as a live stream.

To allow time for facilities maintenance on campus following the recent inclement weather, the previously announced production of Uncle Vanya has been rescheduled to March 26-28.

In Bibliophilia, a book club comes together for their annual Orature Festival where they perform stories for each other. The production is a Senior BFA Project production for Lauren Garza (stage manager), Darin Martin (director), and Ryan Simón (composer/lyricist/writer).

"Bibliophilia is a chamber folk musical," Simón says, "if similar to a specific show, I'd say [Dave Malloy's musical] Ghost Quartet would be the closest comparison." The six-person vocal cast will also serve as the orchestra and play their own instruments; they will be staged in individual booths to allow for social distancing. The additional six members of the cast will be tasked with the physical staging, movement, and choreography of the show.

The cast and design team consist of Texas Wesleyan University students pursuing their Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. The cast includes Abigale Hunt (The Soprano), Lora Nicole Davis (The Mezzo), Grace Philipbar (The Alto), Tanner Diggs (The Tenor), Ethan Brandt (The Baritone), Felipe Trejo (The Bass), Kirsten Wagner, Xaxala Tagusic Sanchez, Gianina Lambert, Jonathan Burt, Nicholas Keel, and Lane Norris.

The production and design team include Darin Martin (director), Ryan Simón (musical director), Lauren Garza (stage manager), Taliyah Salih (assistant stage manager), Cameron Hatcher (scenic design), Mya Cockrell (asst. scenic design), Richard "Gibby" Givans (lighting design), Chase Di lulio (asst. lighting design), Robyn Bradley (costume design), Mitzy Marquez (asst. costume design), Annahi Castillo (properties design), Elena Cruce (asst. properties design), Taylor Allen (sound design), Madison Whitney (asst. sound design), Jacob Rivera-Sanchez (choreographer/graphic design), Colin Schwartz (technical director), Yajaria Rosales (mater electrician), and Ethan Brandt (asst. master electrician).

Faculty, staff and students, as well as audience members who attend the show will adhere to local social distancing guidelines.

All plans and information are subject to change and announcements will be made in the event adjustments are, or need to be, made for the safety of our faculty, staff, students and audience

All plans and information are subject to change and announcements will be made in the event adjustments are, or need to be, made for the safety of our faculty, staff, students, and audience. Please check the Theatre Wesleyan Facebook page for the most up-to-date information and updates. Audience members who purchase their tickets in advance will receive any updates via the email address provided upon checkout.

Tickets will be $10.00 to attend the performance in-person. Tickets purchased in advance are required and available at txwes.edu/theatretickets or by calling (817) 531-4211.

Audience members who choose to experience the show in-person are required to wear a mask over the nose and mouth and follow social distancing guidelines. A limited number of seats will be available for each performance. To maintain the safety of our faculty, staff, students, and audience, no seats will be added and we will not accommodate late seating under any circumstances. The actors will wear masks during the performance.

Patrons can choose to buy access to a live stream of the performance for $10 at txwes.edu/theatretickets or by calling (817) 531-4211. Please refer to the performance schedule for specific dates and times. Live stream links will be emailed to patrons 2-2.5 hours before showtime.

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