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MSU Theatre Presents Powerful Protest Production

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre presents “P\A,” a powerful protest production that draws inspiration from the theme of women’s suffrage and serves as a tribute to a woman’s right to her own body. Performances are scheduled for Sept. 24-29 at Studio 60 Theatre in the MSU Auditorium Building. 

“P\A” is an impactful dance-theatre performance that challenges both artists and audiences to confront their preconceived notions of gender roles and expectations, inviting reflection on the historical struggles women have faced in their fight to be unapologetically authentic in a world that often demands they be seen and not heard. 

image of a woman holding a megaphone with a clenched fist raised with a background showing old black and white image of wiomen holding sign that says 'Votes for Women" and also a pink-colored sign that says "My Body My Choice"
Promotional graphic for the Department of Theatre production “P\A,” which has performances scheduled for Sept. 24-29 at the Studio 60 Theatre in the MSU Auditorium Building.

The play is devised by Alexandria Davis, Assistant Professor in MSU’s Department of Theatre who also is a dancer, actor, and choreographer.

“Lots of works tend to highlight the brutality of the person oppressing rather than the resilience of the person being oppressed,” Davis said. “I really hope that audience members, if anything, are willing to be in dialog about what they saw. Each moment has been cultivated through the cast’s collective investigation of movement, space, time, music, and poetry. I hope the audience can realize that what you think it is, isn’t necessarily what it is, but recognize that what you think it is, is still a valid response. Share that, and let that inspire another topic of conversation, so we can continue to build a new path forward outside of these binaries that we seem to be continually stuck in.”

This production is part of the Department of Theatre’s Storefront Series, which challenges creative teams to work with limited resources and shorter rehearsal periods, with an emphasis on the elements they can control: writing, acting, and directing. 

Performance Dates and Times:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.  
  • Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.  
  • Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.  
  • Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, at 8 p.m.  
  • Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at 2 p.m.   

Tickets

All tickets are general admission and cost $10 each. Tickets can be purchased online at whartoncenter.com, in person at the Wharton Center Ticket Office, or by calling 517-432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON.

For more information on this show and other MSU Department of Theatre productions, visit https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/category/dept-of-theatre.

Categories: Performance / Production / Student / Student / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts