SHERMAN, TEXAS—The Austin College theatre program will present Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar in Ida Green Communication Center’s Beardsley Arena Theatre October 2 through 4 at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8 per person or free with an Austin College ID. Tickets may be purchased at the box office before each performance. The production is not suitable for children.
Directed by senior Sarah Davis of Sherman, the play is described as a “provocative comedy in which four aspiring young novelists sign up for private writing lessons with Leonard, an international literary figure.” The publisher writes, “Under Leonard’s recklessly brilliant and unorthodox instruction, some thrive and others flounder; alliances are made and broken; sex is used as a weapon; and hearts are unmoored. The wordplay is not the only thing that turns vicious as innocence collides with experience in this biting Broadway comedy.”
The cast for the production includes Spencer Nystrom of Mesquite, Texas, as Leonard, and the four aspiring novelists are played by senior Edgar Rodriguez of Odessa, Texas; freshman Jacob Dowell of Little Rock, Arkansas; junior Lindsey Womack of Austin, Texas; and freshman Emma Grundy of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Sophomore Caroline Hodge of Carrollton, Texas, serves as stage manager with Keaton Raney and Rebekah Urban as assistant stage managers. Liz Banks, assistant professor of theatre, is lighting designer with freshman Gavin Haubrich of Euless, Texas, serving as assistant designer. Dan Pucul, technical coordinator for Ida Green Communication Center, is set designer, along with sophomore Faviola Calymayor of Midland, Texas, as assistant. Other production staff include junior Johanna Hunter of Whitewright, Texas, costume design; junior Tabatha Keton of Baytown, Texas, assistant costume design; junior Travis Kannar of Richardson, Texas, sound design; freshman Alex Haj of Coral Gables, Florida, assistant sound design; freshman Kristin Decker of Mount Vernon, Texas, makeup and hair stylist; and working with props, freshman Marissa Brown of Grayslake, Illinois, and senior Megan Oliver of Lewisville, Texas.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.