The Hope College Department of Theatre will present Sarah Ruhl’s “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” on Oct. 16-17 and 22-24 at 7:30 p.m., along with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 18. All performances will be held in the DeWitt Mainstage Theatre, located in the DeWitt Student & Cultural Center on Hope’s campus.
Directed by Lucy Malmsten, visiting assistant professor of theatre, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is a surreal comedy that grapples with life, loss and connection in a digital age. The story begins when the incessant ringing of a cell phone interrupts Jean’s quiet afternoon lunch of lobster bisque, she decides to answer the phone only to discover that the owner of the phone is dead. Who is the man slumped on the cafe table beside her, where did he come from and what type of life did he lead? Thus begins Jean’s surreal adventure into Gordon’s mysterious life, including dinner at his mother’s estate, a date with his brother, a bar stop with his intoxicated wife, a mysterious rendezvous with his mistress, and detours into the black market and afterlife.
When speaking about the theme of the production, Malmsten says, “We live in a time when our phones let us stay constantly connected, yet they can also keep us from being fully present with those sitting across from us. Ultimately, my goal is for the production to leave audiences considering their own relationship with technology.”
This production deals with mature content and language.
Ticket Information
While performances require a purchased ticket, the Sunday, Oct. 18 matinee is free to the public. To reserve seats for the free Sunday matinee, please
email theatre@hope.edu with the name/s and the number of seats to reserve.
- Tickets are $15 for regular admission;
- $10 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff;
- and Free for Hope College students and other students ages 18 and under.
About the Theatre Team
In addition to Malmsten, the college’s production team consists of Em Allen as guest
props and scenic designer; Eric Van Tassell – associate professor of lighting and
sound design and interim department chair – as lighting designer; Ken Chamberlain
– dance and theatre lighting and sound technician – as sound designer; Nick Wylie
as technical director; and Anna Hill as costume shop manager. Also serving on the
production team are: junior Marilla Carpenter of Holland, as costume designer; senior
Kolton Muldowney of Buffalo, NY, as assistant props and scenic designer; junior Victor
Powell of Norton Shores, Mich., as assistant sound designer; senior Isabelle Park
of Caro, Mich., as choreographer; first-year Ashley Girven of Marne, Mich., and sophomore
Autumn Van Soelkema of Grand Rapids, as assistant stage managers; and junior Sophia
Richards of DeWitt, Mich., as stage manager.
The cast includes sophomore students Benjamin Bierma of Grand Rapids and Adia Falvey of Griffith, Ind.; juniors Maddie Johnson of Geneva, Ill., and Alliyah Heerlyn of Mattawan, Mich.; and seniors Nadia Cuthrell of Haslett, Mich., and Kolton Muldowney of Buffalo, NY.
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. Reserved tickets must be claimed ten minutes prior to performances in order to guarantee seating.
At each performance, there will be optional live captioning and DeWitt Theatre’s standard hearing loop. In addition to this, a sensory story will be available for audience members, outlining sudden shifts in lighting, loud sounds, and other abrupt cues.
The DeWitt Student & Cultural Center is located at 141 E 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th Streets.
Visit here to learn more about the three other main stage productions scheduled for the 2026-2027 season.