WCSU Presents FAIRVIEW Beginning This Month

DANBURY, Connecticut - Western Connecticut State University's Department of Theatre Arts announced the production "Fairview," a relevant, evocative play touching on the issues of race and racism in American society, from March 31 to April 16, at the university's Studio Theatre in the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC), 43 Lake Ave. Extension, Danbury. Tickets are now available at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com. Talkbacks featuring the director, dramaturg, special guests and cast members will happen immediately after the matinee performances on both April 1 and April 15.

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Fairview" is "a searing examination of families, drama, family dramas and the insidiousness of white supremacy," and is described by the New York Times as "dazzling and ruthless ... a glorious, scary reminder of the unmatched power of live theater to rattle, roil and shake us wide awake." The Pulitzer committee called the play "a hard-hitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors' community to face deep-seated prejudices."

Visiting Director Donna Baldwin-Bradby will guide the WCSU performers to elicit emotional portrayals of the characters in this sensitive drama. Baldwin-Bradby is a professor of Theatre Arts at North Carolina A&T State University and executive director of Touring Theatre of North Carolina.

After the matinee performances on Saturday, April 1, and Saturday, April 15, there will be talkbacks with Baldwin-Bradby, members of the cast and special guests including Dr. Donald Gagnon, a professor of Theatre Arts and English and faculty dramaturg at WCSU. On Saturday, April 1, special guests will include WCSU Education Professor Dr. Marsha Daria and WCSU doctoral candidate Hector Huertas, an assistant principal for Stamford public schools. On Saturday, April 15, special guests will include State Rep. and WCSU alumnus Corey P. Paris and WCSU alumnus/journalist/blogger Alfonso Robinson. Both talkbacks are being sponsored by The Fourth Wall, the Theatre Arts department's student diversity group. The audience will be encouraged to stay and have a community conversation about the vital current issues and emotions raised in the play.

Showtimes are Friday, March 31, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 1, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 2, at 2 p.m.; Friday, April 14, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 15, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 16, at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for WCSU students, $20 for other students with ID, $20 for senior citizens and group ticket sales, and $30 for general admission at wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.

WCSU's Department of Theatre Arts is part of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, along with Music and Art.Located in the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the university's Westside campus, the National Association of Schools of Theatre-accredited department provides a strong professional training approach to the study of the art and craft of theatre. Students who pursue a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts prepare for a myriad of professional careers as they relate to the student's personal interests in Acting, Design/Technology or Stage Management, while students pursuing a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre prepare for professional performance. For students interested in a broader/liberal arts theatre education, the B.A. in Theatre Arts program offers a more expansive, less specialized approach. WCSU productions include both musicals and traditional plays, and range in style and genre from classic to contemporary.