The Department of Theatre at Hope College will present “Crooked” on Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 10-13, at 7:30 p.m., with two additional matinees on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13-14, at 2 p.m. The matinee on October 14 will be free of charge. All performances will be in the DeWitt Center studio theatre.
Directed by department chair Daina Robins, “Crooked” by Catherine Trieschmann focuses on a 14-year-old aspiring writer, Laney, who has just moved to Mississippi with her recently divorced mother, Elise. At her new school, Laney befriends a local pastor's child, Maribel. As Laney begins to ask questions about religion and sexuality, her relationships with both her mother and Maribel are put under strain.
“CROOKED addresses many topics that young people face as they mature — parent/child relationships, peer pressure and socialization, mental health, religion, sexual identity, divorce,” Robins said. “And it does so while maintaining a delicate balance between a comic sensibility and a serious one. We will hold post-performance panel discussions to give audiences the opportunity to share their responses and to encourage open dialogue as a part of our artistic process.”
In addition to Robins, the production team includes faculty members Michelle Bombe as the costume designer, Perry Landes as the lighting and sound designer, and Richard Smith as the scenic and properties designer. Staff members Paul Anderson and Darlene Veenstra serve as technical director and costume shop manager. In addition to the faculty members, multiple students also serve on the production team. Junior Gracen Barth of Dallas, Texas, is the stage manager and production manager. Freshmen Hallie Spolarich of Chicago, Illinois, and Caroline Dargay of Clarkston are the assistant stage managers. Senior Megan Clark of Clymer, New York, and junior Maxwell Lam of Holland are the assistant costume designers.
The cast includes freshman Emi Herman of Waukegan, Illinois, freshman Lisbeth Franzon of Whitehall and sophomore Madison Meeron of Oxford.
Due to the mature themes of the production, it is not recommended for children.
Tickets are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens, Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and students 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890. Patrons may purchase tickets in person, online at hope.edu/tickets or by calling the ticket office.
The DeWitt Center is located at 141 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th streets. The studio theatre is on the building’s lower level, near the side facing Columbia.