SALVATION ROAD to be Presented at Diego City College in October

The San Diego City College Dramatic Arts Program will present seven performances of the play Salvation Road by D.W. Gregory. Running in the Black box Theatre, tickets are available for Fridays and Saturdays, October 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m., and Saturday, October 7 and 14 at 2:00 p.m.

Salvation Road is directed by drama professor and Co-Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department Dr. Katie Rodda.

College freshman Denise leaves for school and falls in with the charismatic church members the True Disciples, dropping out of school and cutting off all contact with her family. When she is spotted months later at New Jersey strip mall, her siblings Cliff and Jill set out to bring her home. Salvation Road asks the question: where do you draw the line between faith and fanaticism?

D.W. is an award-winning writer whose plays frequently explore political issues through a personal lens and with a comedic twist. The New York Times called her "a playwright with a talent to enlighten and provoke." Gregory is best known for her play Radium Girls, which explores the famous case of industrial poisoning. Her plays have been developed through the support of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE), NNPN, the Playwrights' Center, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the HBMG Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and New York University's New Plays for Young Audiences. A member of the Dramatists' Guild, Gregory is an affiliated writer with The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis and an affiliated artist with NNPN. Other plays include Memoirs of a Forgotten Man, Molumby's Million, A Thing of Beauty, The Good Daughter, October 1962, and Penny Candy.

Rodda first read The Wolves in 2019. "I had heard its title and I had read about various regional productions," she says, "and I was curious about the play. I have never been an athlete, and I was really intrigued by the concept of these warriors who were at the cusp of adulthood-the moment when they prepare to leave their childhoods behind. The script is challenging to read, as the characters are identified by their team numbers and positions only, and they literally talk over each other all the time. And while it may be difficult for audience members to follow, if they allow the many conversations to wash over them, they'll get a glimpse into the brains and hearts of these nine diverse young women."

Rodda is very pleased with her cast throughout the rehearsal process. Three of them appeared in Rodda's 2022 production of The Wolves, and one returned after performing in Good Kids in 2016. Some actors have had a great deal of experience onstage, and six out of thirteen are making their City College Theatre debuts. The cast includes Fortino Aguilar (Karl/ensemble), Jes Amador (Sister Jean), Presley Cooper (Patti/ensemble), Ann Garcia (Simi/ensemble), Kiandra Garner (Melanie/ensemble), Ella Geonzon (Denise), Lilac Kirkpatrick (Jill), Elijah Osuna (Jacob/ensemble), Andrew Pacheco (Elijah), Jeremy Rho (Cliff), Daniel Savala (Duffy), Veronica Springer (understudy/ensemble), and Maddi Teel (Rebecca/ensemble).

The Stage Manager is City College student Maya Canales, and the Assistant Stage Manager is Aly Garcia. Scenic Design is by Duane Gardella, and Costume Design is by Elisa Benzoni. Both are professors at City College. Lighting Design is by City College alumnus Mashun Tucker.

Tickets: $5 - 18: www.citycollegetheatre.com

WHAT: Salvation Road

WHEN: Fridays, October 6 and 13, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, October 7 and 14, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; There is a student matinee ($5 all tickets) Thursday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: San Diego City College Black Box Theatre/AH 320, 14th St. & C St., San Diego, CA 92101. The Black Box Theatre is located in the northwest corner of the AH Building.

Established in 1914, San Diego City College serves as the educational cornerstone of downtown San Diego. A 60-acre urban campus, City College serves more than 17,000 students, offering 200 majors and degrees and 1,800 classes. City College is part of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD), the second largest of California's 72 community college districts, which also includes Mesa College, Miramar College and Continuing Education. For more information, visit www.sdcity.edu.

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