The UCSB Department Of Theater/Dance Presents GENERATIONS

The Department of Theater and Dance presents Generations, a series of short plays devised by UCSB's theater students and directed by Annie Torsiglieri. The show opens on November 19 at 7 p.m. via Zoom, and runs through November 21. An intimate piece of historical fiction, Generations seeks to honor our past ancestors and learn from their resilience.

The production examines the stories of the performers' ancestors and lineage, both real and imagined. Through interviews, research, and guided improvisation, the performers have delved into the past to both learn from it, and find gratitude and perspective in the challenges their families have faced. Generations will share stories from Poland, Latvia, Mexico, India, and beyond.

In an increasingly distanced world, the making of Generations has provided a much needed sense of art and community to the creative team. "The students become the ancestors to tell their stories, and there's an intimacy to meeting these ancestors," said director Annie Torsiglieri. "And we need community and art more than ever - because of quarantine, and because of the state of our world." Torsiglieri feels honored to get to meet these people from the past through their great great great grandchildren, and hopes the audience will feel the intimacy of the story-telling as well when they too get to take a peek into the past.

It is Torsiglieri's hope that the audience will find comfort in these histories. "Our past generations have survived and flourished, and so can we," she said. "We can gather strength from their stories."

Join the UCSB Department of Theater and Dance as they explore these new devised works. The production is free to everyone, and the viewing link is available online at www.theaterdance.ucsb.edu.