The Suffolk University Theatre Department Presents OUR TIME- A VIRTUAL TIME CAPSULE

On April 15th, 16th, and 17th The Suffolk University Theatre Department will stream a virtual time capsule of theatrical artifacts documenting the experiences of Suffolk students during the global pandemic.

Each evening's performance will be different and composed entirely of original student work. On April 19th, the three segments will be sealed and stored in our "vault" to be streamed in perpetuity for generations to come. Our Time is the brainchild of Theatre Professor Wesley Savick who saw an opportunity for students to document their experiences during a global pandemic.

He challenged students with the following prompt, "Finish the sentence, 'In our time, _____________' and imagine you are saying this to someone ten, twenty, thirty, three hundred...years in the future. I want everyone to video record their answers. These statements should be personal, emotionally provocative, not obvious and most of all, TRUE. (Not necessarily 'factual' but absolutely true.)"

In explaining his motivation to spearhead such a massive and significant project, Savick said, "I am interested in providing every Suffolk University student a platform to express their creative, honest, theatrical response to the past extraordinary year...a year which was complex, controversial and anxiety-ridden on many simultaneous levels at once. I strongly believe that the theatre is and always has been a safe place to express uncomfortable truths, to challenge lazy assumptions and to make the world a better place. I support our students in their quest to give expression to their truth and actively advocate for their courage and artistry in a way that 'sings.'"

The content of Our Time includes personal testimonies, monologues, spoken word poetry, songs, dance, puppetry, playwriting, directing and visual documentation.

The Theatre Department united forces with two major Boston area artists to mentor the students. For the first time in its history, the department collaborated with a poet, Ashley-Rose Salomon, to champion spoken word performance. Salomon's experience as an educator and artist produced remarkable, original student work. Our Time would not have been possible without the expertise of video director, Kathy Wittman (Ball Sq. Films). A longtime colleague of Savick's and no stranger to the Theatre Department, Wittman's consummate artistry of how best to present theatrical performance in video format has been an indispensable component. Both Salomon and Wittman have been delighted to work one-on-one with the students.

Says Wittman, "The student work we've filmed is AMAZING and I can't wait to share it. The quality of the content being produced is first-rate. This show is going to be really fun!"

A small, select live audience will be gathered each evening at Suffolk's Modern Theatre to watch the streaming shows. These audiences are by invitation only and will be held in compliance with Suffolk University's strict COVID safety protocols.

Talk backs after each night's stream will immediately follow. These post-show experiences will be recorded and included in the complete Our Time capsule.

Tickets are free for Our Time and available now at tinyurl.com/SU-OURTIME or by calling 866.811.4111.