UNM Department Of Theatre And Dance Announces FALL: A New Play By Erik Ehn

The University of New Mexico Department of Theatre and Dance has announced FALL, a new play by Erik Ehn available for online streaming beginning Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 7:30pm.

FALL references historical styles while bringing events to a contemporary context: children at risk in the era of global capital. A child sells herself into slavery to relieve her mother's poverty-the story of her days in the mines run by the local militia. The work is an adaptation of material from the Noh canon, performed by Bridey Caramagno, Isabella Figueroa, Laura Hu, Jenna Lee Ramsay, and Spencer P. Wilden, directed by Ehn.

Noh is a classical form of Japanese theatre that weaves together story, dance, and drama with the use of masks and elaborate wardrobe, traditionally performed on a square stage with a roof, frequently outdoors. Noh rose to prominence in the fourteen century, making it one of the oldest forms of theatrical expression still practiced today.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, FALL has drawn together a spectacular creative team and dedicated student actors who have worked diligently to adapt to an evolving process responsive to the needs of high standards for public health and safety. For weeks, students rehearsed virtually and the creative team designed elaborate plans for FALL to be performed live for filming while adhering to social distancing protocols. The work was filmed without an audience on November 7th with lighting design by Brittany Chato, and sound design by Chad B. Scheer. FALL features costumes designed by Eden Resnik, and properties by Joel McKenzie.

Erik Ehn is a playwright, director, educator, and theorist of contemporary theatre. He is known for proposing the Regional Alternative Theatre movement. A recent graduate of the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley California, with a Master of Theological Studies degree and the former dean of theater at CalArts, the California Institute of Arts, he is the former head of playwriting and professor of theatre and performance studies at Brown University. His published works include The Saint Plays, Beginner, and 13 Christs.

Ehn is co-founder and co-artistic director, alongside Lisa Bielawa, of the Tenderloin Opera Company in San Francisco and also an artistic associate of San Francisco's Theatre of Yugen. He is a visiting professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Mexico.