"In the Blood" has proven to be a learning experience for both the cast and the audience.
The play, which is a takeoff of "The Scarlet Letter," only has two performances remaining until the curtain falls.
"In the Blood," written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan Lori-Parks, tells the tale of Hester La Negrita, a character based on Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter."
Lori-Parks, the creator of other plays such as "Top Dog/Underdog"and "Venus," used Hawthorne's classic tale as a blueprint, but then introduced the controversial elements of poverty, race and sexuality.
These more modern-day stigmas have gripped the actors since rehearsals began five weeks ago.
For cast member Darrin Donte Miller, his first play at The University of Memphis has been an unforgettable one.
"I couldn't have asked for a better first role," said Miller, a freshman theater major.
Miller plays both the roles of Chilli and Jabber in the production. Each cast member, aside from the lead role of Hester, plays dual roles. This has been a challenge and a thrill for the actors.
"This play has given me the opportunity to perform and educate," Miller said.
Although several audience members have been required to attend because of a class, they have left the theater with a newfound understanding for the ideas that "In the Blood" addresses.
Ashira Israel, a senior African-American studies major, is grateful the subject matter was addressed so bluntly.
"So many women are oppressed, and the play covers the full spectrum of Hester's oppression," Israel said.
Lori-Parks' use of language is powerful and poetic, according to Stephen Hancock, the director of "In the Blood" and associate professor of theater at The U of M.
For Hancock, bringing "In the Blood" to The University was essential for the budding African-American talent within the theater department.
"It is important to recognize that talent," Hancock said. "There is a need in our community for African-American theater, and it is truly wonderful how people have responded."
The response has been so positive from the student body, church groups and people in the community that two performances were added to the show's run.
If you are one of the lucky audience members to have a ticket to this weekend's final performances of "In the Blood," you will find that the play doesn't truly end after the actor's take their bow.
Lori-Parks' writing is so dynamic that it resonates with audience members after they leave the theater, according to Hancock.
"The play ends in conversation, with people asking each other, 'What did she mean by that?' and discovering what people's perceptions are," Hancock said.
Discover your perception on these challenging issues when "In the Blood" runs tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in The U of M Theatre and Communication Building.
