Annalise Cain's WHY LILIYA WHY to Open at Indiana University This Month

Annalise Cain's Why Liliya Why will receive a full production this March 3-10th at Indiana University as part of their 11th annual At First Sight New Play Festival. The play, which serves as Cain's thesis, is a fantastical meditation on what it means to have a family, a body and the attendant responsibilities to both. After a great fall, Liliya removes her heart from her chest. She journeys back to a former home with every intention of ending her life, but she's seduced by the familiarity of a tower that was once hers. While the quiet rest she seeks evades her, Liliya discovers the power and implications of just how much space she can create within herself. Marrying the music of words with the art of movement, Why Liliya Why is a composition of the heart and its absence.

This production, directed by second year M.F.A. directing candidate Lauren Diesch, aims to honor the vision of the playwrights' story. Diesch said, "I view myself as a new work doula, gently guiding the play into existence to allow the story to be heard as close to the playwright's vision as possible." Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Diesch has spent the last decade as the Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director of CLIMB Theatre in the Twin Cities working as director, playwright, actor, and teacher using theatre to create positive community change.

Joining Diesch on the creative team are Nicholas Gwin (lighting design), Nicole Hiemenz (costume design), Bri Stoneburner (sound design), and Valeriya Nedviga (scenic design). The cast includes AJ Huq as the title character, Isabel Barredo (Theo), Lexy Hatch (M'other), Brady McGuire (Tony), and Zoë Swisher (The Storm Goddess). The team is led by stage manager Ashlynn Abbott, with Reilly Smith (ASM), Taylor Blum (ASM), and Morgan Hemgrove (TD). 

This year's At First Sight New Play Festival also features 1970's College Sex Comedy by second year MFA playwright David Davila, several panels with esteemed guests, and Undergrad Shorts, an evening of short plays.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

WHEN: March 3-10
Why Liliya Why - March 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 at 7:30pm (in the Wells-Metz Theatre)
WHERE: Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, 275 N Eagleson Avenue
TICKETS: Regular admission is $20 for adults, $10 for students. Other festival activities, including Undergrad Shorts, are free of charge.

To contact the box office, call 812.855.1103 or email theatre.indiana.edu.

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