The Department of Theatre and Dance in the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present “Bread and Circuses” by young alumnus Edward Precht ’14. The play is not a slice of realism, but rather is a broad comedy that speaks of young love and one man’s hysterical journey to find it. Along the way, he discovers some things about not only the art of theatre, but also about himself.
The production won the David L. Shelton Playwriting Award at the 2014 Region IV Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival (KC/ACTF) and went on to win the NAPAT National KC/ACTF award for playwriting. As the winner of the Shelton award, this production of “Bread and Circuses” has already received an invitation to be presented at the 2015 KC/ACTF Regional Festival in February.
Director and theatre faculty member Todd McNerney states, “Working on the development of a new play is an exciting opportunity for our department and for our students – in this case doubly so since it was written by a student. In my roughly 20 years here, only one other time was a student’s original piece presented as part of our department’s mainstage season.”
He adds, “There are some unique elements within the production, and the structure of the play requires an imaginative approach to the realization of the world – a world that highlights how life is full of possibilities that most of us have yet to discover.”
Edward Precht is a recent graduate of the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance. He is a multiple award-winning playwright and a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America. This is his first full-length play.
DETAILS: The production will run from Wednesday, Oct. 8 through Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 with a second run from Tuesday, Oct. 14 to Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014. It will be staged in the Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun St. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m., with the Sunday shows at 3 p.m. only.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for senior citizens and College of Charleston students, faculty and staff. Season subscriptions are still available. Purchase tickets online or by calling (843) 953-5604.