Nicola McCartney's HERITAGE to Play Pepperdine

By: Jan. 08, 2016
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The Pepperdine University Fine Arts Division Theatre Department will present Nicola McCartney's drama Heritage at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26 through Saturday, January 30, with a 2 p.m. matinee on January 30, at the Malibu campus' Lindhurst Theatre.

Tickets, priced at $15 for the public, $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, and $12 for Pepperdine faculty and staff, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at http://arts.pepperdine.edu/. More information: http://arts.pepperdine.edu/performances/theatre.htm

In Canada, 1914, Sarah McCrea stands on the threshold of womanhood, facing a bright future in a new country. Leaving Ulster behind, Sarah and her family carve out their existence in an emerging community. Drawn to one another through tales of a near forgotten mythical Ireland, Sarah and her neighbor Michael Donaghue become firm friends. But when Sarah and Michael's relationship deepens and his determination to define his identity grows, centuries of old conflict threaten to blight their love. And for Sarah, the realization dawns that old battles are being fought on new territory.

Pepperdine Professor of Theatre Cathy Thomas-Grant directs the Pepperdine student cast which features Christopher Bozzini, Addyson Culpepper, William Craig, Dakota Dickerson, Alexandria Garrett, and Katherine Lavelle. The performance also features Irish set dancing with an original score by Joel Rieke and choreography by Laura Ann Smyth.

Pepperdine's production of Heritage uses the play's poetic language, Irish mythology, and heightened theatrical traditions to explore the nature of cultural frictions and the painful process of changing one's sense of identity and way of thinking.

"The play really examines the fundamental struggle of choosing between old traditions or creating new paths of expression," say Thomas-Grant. "The protagonist Sarah McCrea is caught up in a Romeo and Juliet storyline, and the sectarian violence and radicalization of the young man she loves pulls her in two different directions. When our heritage becomes destructive, we need to look back, to reason through and examine past events with the hope of moving forward and creating a more positive and better future for ourselves and our community."

Heritage is presented as part of Pepperdine's Mary Pickford-Stotsenberg Performances series. This play contains strong language and adult themes. No late seating is allowed. There will be a talkback with the cast and director following the Wednesday performance.



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