The Hope College Department of Theatre will present an original, devised piece titled “The Boy Who Hates Everything,” on Friday-Saturday, April 14-15, and Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23, in the DeWitt Center main theatre.
There will be evening performances on April 14-15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m., and matinee performances on April 15 and 22-23 at 1 p.m.
Directed by guest director Chris Garcia Peak, “The Boy Who Hates Everything” is devised by Peak in collaboration with Hope College theatre students. The production also contains original music and lyrics by Nathan Streifel in addition to original puppet design by Jesse Mooney-Bullock. Set in 1963 France, the production follows 22-year-old Desmond, who is arrested for not finishing the food on his dinner plate and is kicked out of his home by his slightly dysfunctional family. After meeting The Magical Soup Lady, who promises Desmond a way back to his family, he sets off on a whimsical journey accompanied by Amelie, an adventurous librarian, to find a cat that can read Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” pull three whiskers from a lion and find a way to make it snow for the first time in 20 years.
In regards to the production, Peak said, “‘The Boy Who Hates Everything’ is a whimsical and playful theatrical experience that combines original music, puppetry and elements of absurdist farce. Inspired by a mishmash of fables, current events and even a can of soup found in the rehearsal room, the play follows the journey of leaving home and returning with newfound knowledge. It celebrates the themes of self-discovery and the joy of coming back to one’s roots.”
In addition to Peak, the college’s production team includes guest Sotirios Livaditis as scenic and properties designer; professor Michelle Bombe, chair of the department, as costume designer; Ken Chamberlin, assistant director for dance and theatre as lighting designer; Eric Van Tassell, assistant professor of theatre, as sound designer; and Stephen Krebs and Anna Hill as technical director and costume shop manager, respectively.
Also serving on the production team are junior Lydia Konings of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as stage manager; freshmen Ava Bell of Farmington Hills and Natalie Stringham of Ann Arbor as assistant stage managers; and freshman Audrey Kunce of Carmel, Indiana, as devising manager.
The cast includes senior Adam Chamness of Holland; junior Abigail Doonan of Kalamazoo; sophomores Eden Comer of Farmington Hills, Alegría Guzman of Quito, Ecuador, and Danai Mandebvu of Harare, Zimbabwe; and freshmen Eliana Cocking of Novi, Claudia Hwang of Norton Shores, Kate Lawrence of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and Sofia Wake of Washington, Illinois.
The performance at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, is free. Tickets for the other performances are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and students ages 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland 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 reached at 616-395-7890. Tickets may be purchased by calling or visiting the ticket office, online at hope.edu/tickets, or in person at the performance.
Audience members who need assistance to enjoy any event at Hope fully are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar
The DeWitt Student & Cultural Center is located at 141 E 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th streets.