Photo Flash: CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION Begins Tonight at UofSC Lab Theatre

The UofSC Department of Theatre and Dance will present the award-winning play CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, this weekend, November 19-22 at the Lab Theatre. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!

An adult acting class is the setting for this quirky story about four strangers whose interaction over six-weeks of theatre games leads to real-life drama. Cleverly utilizing actual acting exercises for each scene -- including one called "Circle Mirror Transformation" -- playwright Annie Baker examines the depths of emotion inherent in human relationships, and hilariously shows the truly transformative power of theatre. CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION was named "Best New American Play" at the 2010 off-Broadway Obie Awards. Annie Baker received a Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for her play, The Flick.

Director Jamie Boller, a senior majoring in both English and Theatre, says Baker's inventive script defies category. "It's quite funny," she says, "but it's hard to put the show in one genre. It goes from being really funny to really touching and even sad at times. It's deceptively profound, with really poignant moments happening beneath all of the games being played."

The show's assortment of real-life acting games and exercises, Boller says, provides a unique window for the audience to see and experience theatre training behind the scenes.

"I think what's important about this setup is that we're watching the characters all be present with each other in the room," she says. "Theatre is this ephemeral thing that happens very much in the present and then goes away. That's ultimately what the class in the show is teaching the characters - how to be very genuine and honest and present with each other."

"The experience of going to the theatre is a lot like that, as well," she adds. "I'd love for the audience to find themselves thinking about how they, too, are impacted and changed by simply watching the play."

Appearing in the play are undergraduate theatre students Jasmine James and Sofia Pavone, education major Cami Reid, graduate theatre student Ryan Stevens and Midlands Tech student Megh Ahire. Scenic Design for the production is by Theatre MFA candidate Neda Spalajkovic, with Technical Direction by UofSC alum Curtis Smoak. Undergraduate student Laura Nix will design costumes. Lighting design is by theatre major Megan Branham.

"This show is really a celebration of theatre," says Boller. "It's perfect for those people who love theatre, and also for those who don't realize just how much they love it yet."

Show times for CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION are 8pm nightly. Tickets are $5 and available only at the door. The Lab Theatre is located at 1400 Wheat St., on the first floor of the Booker T. Washington building.

Photo Credit: Alexandra Herstik

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