October 15, 2007
For Immediate Release
For an interview:
John Graham
(801) 863-6198
UVSC Theatrical Arts Department continues their 2007-08 season of “the American experience” with the family comedy, “Ah, Wilderness!” by Eugene O’Neill, the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning playwright. “Ah, Wilderness!” is performed October 25-November 3 at the Ragan Theater, on the Utah Valley State College Campus in Orem at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $6 to $10.
O’Neill’s only comedy is a surprisingly warm portrayal of middle class life in “large small town America.” Set on July 4, 1906, the play shows us a 17-year-old young man’s firsts: first kiss, first break up, first drink, first reunion and first realization that his parents seem to have gotten it right and reminds us why those holiday family gatherings are so important.
With “Ah, Wilderness!” O’Neill re-imagined his troubled youth as he wished it would have been. Subtitling the play “A Comedy of Recollections,” he characterized the play as “the other side of the coin” meaning that it represented his fantasy of what his own youth might have been, rather than what he believed it to have been. The play celebrates the role of the family in America. The interpretation of this wistful family-friendly piece is given by director John Graham, new UVSC assistant theatre professor.
“Ah, Wilderness! shows the family as the central and most important aspect of our lives,” said Graham. “It says that the lessons we learn in the family are the ones we take with us out into the world.”
The cast of “Ah, Wilderness!” is very diverse. Graham said, “Of the 15 actors, the ages range from 11 to mid-50s and so everyone is working hard to balance school work, rehearsals, and outside jobs.”
Cast members include Wesley Tolmann (New Haven, Mich.) as Richard Miller, Sarah Preston (Kanab) as Mildred, Jeremy Minagro (Orem) as Nat Miller, Laura Garner (Salt Lake City) as Essie, Jordan Cummings (American Fork) as Arthur Miller, Trevor Elzey (Cedar Hills) as Tommy Miller, Adam Slee (Spanish Fork) as Uncle Sid, Anna Marie Johnson (Provo) as Lily, Elizabeth Vogeley (Boulder, Colo.) as Nora, Sam Davis (San Bernidino, Calif.) as Mr. McComber, Deidre Hiatt (Payson) as Muriel, Jacob Nilsson (Bluffdale) as Wint, Aubrey Williams (West Valley) as Bell, Jeff Van Winkle (Daytona Beach, Fla.) as Bartender and Jeremy Showgren (Mapleton) as Salesman.
For more information on “Ah Wilderness!” call (801) 863-8797 or visit www.uvsc.edu/campusconnect/events/.
UVSC Theatrical Arts Department presents
“Ah, Wilderness!”
By Eugene O’Neill
Directed by John Graham
Dates: October 25th-November 3rd (excluding Sunday)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Ragan Theatre, UVSC, 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT
Tickets: $6 for UVSC students, $8 for other students, UVSC faculty/
staff and seniors, $10 general admission.
Box Office: UVSC Campus Connection, (801) 863-8797
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College Marketing Contact:
Lisa Elzey
(801) 427-6469