By Hannah Lathen/ managing editor
Photos by Katelyn Townsend/The Collegian
South Campus’ theater program will kick off the spring season with Those Before Me, a play in honor of Women’s History Month compiled and performed by students Feb. 16-18.
Drama instructor Lindy Benton-Muller, the play’s director, said she told her students to focus on the strong women who stood before them. Those Before Me is a compiled show where the students pulled text from various sources including monologues, song lyrics and speeches.
“We ended up submitting about 49 pages of text, and out of that, I ended up with 20 different pieces that revolve around three different themes,” she said.
One of those themes focuses on women who were viewed as superheroes or goddesses. The second theme the students looked for in women was those who had a backbone and stood up for themselves. The third one was women who were loving and were dreamers.
“Within those three sections, we’ve different pieces that all relate to these characteristics of these women,” Benton-Muller said.
Student Victoria Nearn said the play will feature a couple of famous celebrities.
“We are trying to find things that we find interesting, women that we find interesting, people we look up to, people we admire and why we admire them,” she said.
This is student Kristen Clay’s first play at TCC, and she looks forward to performing in a more professional atmosphere than what she had in high school theater.
“I am really excited to work with all the people that know what they doing and know that this is really what they want to do,” she said.
Benton-Muller said working with this group of students on the play was a joy.
“They are amazing. They are hard workers,” she said. “Really, part of what the show is that I am wanting to show the world what it feels like to get to work with them.”
The play will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16-18 in the Joe. B. Rushing Performing Arts Center with no late seating. Sign language interpreters will be available for the Feb. 18 show. Performances will include some adult language and content.
The play is free for TCC students, faculty and staff, $3 for other students and seniors and $6 for the public. Tickets are available at the box office 30 minutes before showtime. For more details, contact Benton-Muller at 817-515-4717.
