The Department of Theater/Dance at UCSB to Present VENUS, 11/6-14

The Department of Theater/Dance at UC Santa Barbara and director Tom Whitaker present a fresh take on one of Suzan-Lori Parks' most famous plays. A groundbreaking and provocative work by America's premiere African-American female playwright, VENUS runs November 6 - 14, 2015 in UC Santa Barbara's Performing Arts Theater.

VENUS is a tale of exploitation and love that draws from the real-life story of Sarah Baartman -- a young woman from South Africa. Lured from her home, and billed as the Hottentot-VENUS, she starred in one of the most famous freak shows of the 19th century -- her physique both fascinated and astonished Europeans of that time.

The play examines both VENUS' rise to stardom and her ultimate destruction, as she battles society's fascination, scientists' cold curiosity, and a lover's deadly obsession.

A cast of twelve undergraduate students from UC Santa Barbara's Bachelor of Fine Arts Program is led by award-winning director Tom Whitaker. "We are privileged to have the opportunity to work on Suzan-Lori Parks' VENUS, and so excited to embark on this adventure," said director Tom Whitaker. "We have a very talented diverse cast, live musicians directed by Jon Nathan, director of UCSB's jazz ensemble, wonderful designs being developed by our skilled departmental designers -- and of course Suzan-Lori Parks' powerful and theatrical text."

Suzan-Lori Parks is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Ms. Parks was the first African American woman to win the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for her play Topdog/Underdog.

As of this October, Ms. Parks is also the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize laureate. The Gish Prize is one of the richest prizes in the American arts and is currently about $300,000. Ms. Parks' works include the epic "Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)," which was staged in 2014 at the Public Theater, and an adaptation of the book for the controversial revamp of the musical "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess," which opened on Broadway in 2012.

Theatrical, powerful, poetic, challenging, funny, frightening, and ultimately deeply human-VENUS is a play that calls for action. Dare to join the Department of Theater/Dance at UCSB in questioning our past and examining our deepest hungers.

VENUS runs Nov 6 - 7, 10 - 14 / 7:30 PM and Nov 7 - 8, 14 / 2 PM at UCSB Performing Arts Theater. Tickets: $17 General Admission; $13 UCSB Students/Faculty/Staff/Alumni, Senior. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu or call the box office at (805) 893-2064, Monday through Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. CONTENT WARNING: This production includes mature content and language that is not intended for children.