MOON MAN WALK Comes to The University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance

The University of South Carolina Department of Theatre and Dance will present the drama Moon Man Walk November 8-16 at Longstreet Theatre.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, with additional 3 p.m. matinee performances on Sunday, November 10 and Saturday, November 16.  Admission is $15 for students, $20 for USC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $22 for the public. Tickets may be purchased online at sc.universitytickets.com. Longstreet Theatre is located at 1300 Greene St. Entry to the theatre is through the rear breezeway off Sumter St.

The 2015 play by James Ijames (winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama for Fat Ham, a modern-day reimagining of Hamlet) tells the story of Spencer, a young man dealing with the death of his mother. As he journeys home to plan her funeral, Spencer falls in love, discovers the truth about his absent father, and learns that his past is also the making of his present. This magical journey through space and time takes us literally from Philadelphia to the moon and back.  “Nothing really appears to be what it is in the play, and that pull between fantasy, fiction, and the raw present is a theme that is beautifully sewn throughout the narrative. …[a] gorgeous script.” —Philadelphia Magazine

Guest artist Terrance Henderson is directing the production. A 2001 graduate of the USC theatre program, Henderson has forged a career as a multi-hyphenate artist, with work that spans directing, choreography, writing, performance, education, and activism. During his extensive career, Terrance has been the recipient of the Steve Morrison Visionary Award from One Columbia, Artist of the Year honors from Jasper Magazine, and a Leo Award from the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago.

Henderson describes the play as “a bit of a tall tale,” adding that it’s “a fantastical kind of storytelling mixing memory and fantasy. We follow Spencer on a journey to face family secrets and traumas, but it’s really more about finding himself.”

“We don’t see this play in real time,” Henderson says of the play’s non-linear structure. “We see it in the mind, in the imagination of a child, essentially. For me, it’s a play that’s happening in a space that’s between things, and that lends itself very much to theatrical presentation. It’s a hyper-realism that gives us permission to enjoy the device of theatre itself.”

The design team has been central to building the play’s abstract world, Henderson says, noting that the show’s scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designs are strong storytelling elements in themselves. “There’s so much detail and intention in the choices we’ve made,” Henderson says. “Something that’s compelling for people to sink their teeth into.”

Stylized movement, choreographed by Henderson, is another key component to the production. “I want to use movement as a gateway to open the audience’s imagination,” he explains. “It allows the audience to relax their reliance on just intelligence and open their hearts a bit. It’s a way into accessing this story.”

Cast in the production are undergraduates Rowland Marshall (as Spencer), Kayla Barron, and Lakayla Henryhand, and graduate acting student De’On Turner. Design for the production is by Assistant Professor Erik Flatmo (scenic), instructor Danielle Wilson (sound), and graduate design students Cynthia Emekako (costume) and Garreth Hayward (lighting).

“This is a play about a very circular conversation,” Henderson says, “between the ground and the sky, between reality and fantasy, and between our imagination and our truth. We’re watching a very human story being told in big, bold colors.”

For more information on Moon Man Walk or the theatre program at the University of South Carolina, contact Kevin Bush by phone at 803-777-9353 or via email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.

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