Join us in the Kenan Theatre for a workshop play series featuring new works by two UNC faculty members. Enjoy a performance and stay for a talk with each of the playwrights as you help them develop the show for future audiences.
Both shows are FREE. No tickets are required, but RSVPs are appreciated.
Song of a Sea Witch by Rachel Hynes
Wednesday, April 30 at 7:30pm
Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 4 at 2:00pm
Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a girl, and her best friend was a creature of the sea, a Sea Witch. The Sea Witch was a woman made of seaweed, shells and bones. The Sea Witch loved the girl so much, that she would drag her down to the bottom of the ocean. The girl would stay there, until she found her way back to the surface, only to be lured by the Sea Witch’s song again and again.
Song of a Seawitch uses puppetry, physical theatre and music to tell a fairytale about the power of language and the lasting impact of negative self-talk. Join storyteller and theatre-maker Rachel Hynes to help develop this exciting and perilous tale for everyone who has a Sea Witch.
When The Swelling Goes Down by Samuel Ray Gates
Thursday, May 1 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 3 at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 4 at 7:30pm
Directed by Keith Josef Adkins
Movement by Thiago Felix
Synopsis: When the Swelling Goes Down is PlayMakers Company Member Samuel Ray Gates’s intimate and powerful exploration of life in 2020 and beyond. Drawing inspiration from the tradition of winter counts—Native American records of significant yearly events—Gates weaves together personal anecdotes, historical context, and sharp wit to navigate the complexities of race, grief, and the search for healing. With raw honesty and humor, Gates delves into themes of loneliness and isolation, revealing a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the search for connection in a world that often feels fractured. This is a story about finding your voice and understanding your place in the world, one year at a time.