Shorter University's fall play Rebecca wil run Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and Oct. 6-9

September 23, 2011 - The Shorter University Theatre Department will present its fall play, Rebecca, Sept. 29-Oct. 2 and Oct. 6-9 in the university’s Callaway Theatre. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, is a gothic mystery lush with romantic themes of beauty, love and death. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. To order tickets, call the Shorter University box office at 706-233-7288 or email boxoffice@shorter.edu.  

Rebecca , originally written by Du Maurier as a novel, was published in 1938. The following year she adapted her novel into a stage play, having successful luck in London with more than 350 performances. In 1940, Alfred Hitchcock transformed the novel into his only Academy Award-winning film; it starred Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson. By 1980, the novel had been adapted for television by both the BBC and Carlton Television, and it aired in the United States on PBS as a part of the Mystery! series.

The play takes turns and twists as a new marriage is overshadowed by the memory of the former wife (Rebecca), who was killed in a mysterious sailing accident. As the new wife reveals intriguing details of her husband’s previous marriage, she slowly unravels the events that had taken place at Manderley, his estate. As she pieces together the past, the knowledge she discovers will forever change her life.  

When asked why she is excited for audiences to see Rebecca, director Kathy Newman said, “Because of the concept of a dream world.  The novel, and the film, open with the now iconic monologue ‘Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again…’  There has been a great collaboration between the director, the set designer, and the lighting designer, all of whom have been thinking very much outside-the-box, to create a tactile, dreamlike experience.”  

Director Kathy Newman coaching (from left to right) Jonathan Chisolm, Levi Penley, Ellen Buice, and Kathleen Hoyt in a scene from Rebecca.

Members of the cast include Levi Penley, a theatre major from Covington; Ellen Buice, a theatre major and Jake Shadrix, a musical theatre major from Carrollton; Casey Kean and Rebecca Gossett, theatre majors and Jonathan Chisolm, a musical theatre major from Rome; Lauren Friday, a musical theatre major from Cumming; Samuel David Gresham, a musical theatre major from Flowery Branch; Chris Vizurraga, a musical theatre major from Watkinsville; Mariel Villarreal, a musical theatre major from Lawrenceville; Kathleen Hoyt, a theatre major from Forsyth; Jamel Booth, a theatre major from Kingsland; Patrick Dyer, a musical theatre major from Mableton; Stephanie Hettrick, a theatre major from Commerce; Sophie Decker, a musical theatre major from Conyers; and Jessica Stamey, a theatre major from Lawrenceville.

Other upcoming theatre performances for the academic year include the fall musical She Loves Me Nov. 10-13 and 17-20, the spring play Pride and Prejudice Feb. 16-19 and 23-26, and the spring musical It’s the Talk of the Town: A Musical Tribute to Jerry Livingston April 10-15 in the Callaway Theatre. Tickets are required.   

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian college committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and the Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas as well as undergraduate degree programs for working adults, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Education and the Master of Arts in Leadership. General education and calculus courses are offered in an online format, and Shorter recently launched online programs that lead toward the Associate of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Master of Accountancy degrees. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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