A MODERN TWIST IN TERROR!

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE & DANCE PRESENTS

DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

JEFFREY HATCHER’S ADAPTATION OF ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S CLASSIC TALE

OCTOBER 28 – NOVEMBER 6, 2011

AT THE B. IDEN PAYNE THEATRE

POST-PERFORMANCE CONVERSATION WITH PLAYWRIGHT JEFFREY HATCHER ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, October 28 – November 6 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic Victorian tale, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s modern adaptation delves into paranoia, jealousy and violence and reveals that the line between good and evil is blurred.

In Victorian London, the esteemed Dr. Jekyll has begun to exhibit unpredictable behavior, while a figure roams the streets committing violent acts in the dark and shadowy streets. As Dr. Jekyll’s peers confront the mysterious Mr. Hyde, Jekyll’s psyche fractures. Jekyll must confront Hyde – himself – and the darkness that exists in both men.

Theatrically intense and provocative, Jeffrey Hatcher’s retelling of Stevenson’s novella transports Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into the 21st century. No longer a story of a reductive representation of good versus evil, Hatcher presents Jekyll as a man haunted by multiple manifestations of his worst impulses. Identity is fluid, multiple and complex. Jekyll’s inner conflict is mirrored on stage by four actors, including two women; each who portrays a distinct version of Hyde.

For director and master of fine arts candidate Daria Davis, Hatcher’s storytelling speaks to a modern audience, most notably through the play’s ideas around identity, agency and fate. Davis explains, “The great difference between the Stevenson’s and Hatcher’s stories is that Jekyll is now making an informed choice to commit these heinous actions. This opens up the possibility that what happens to Jekyll could happen to anyone. When we talk about the world of the play in rehearsal we say that the sun is always setting and we are always on the wrong street at the wrong time. If we remove the idea that Jekyll has absolute dominion over his actions he becomes just as vulnerable as anyone else on a shadowy cobblestoned street. As an audience we can share in that vulnerability and see it as our own.”

For more information on DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, please visit texasperformingarts.org/season/jekyllhyde.

The B. Iden Payne Theatre (300 E. 23rd St.) is located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building on the University of Texas campus. For a map of the campus, please visit texasperformingarts.org/visit/maps_directions.

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
An intimate post-performance conversation with playwright Jeffrey Hatcher will be held immediately following the November 4 performance. Hatcher, director Daria Davis, dramaturg Cassidy Browning and members of the cast will share insight on the process of bringing the classic tale to the modern stage.

CALENDAR LISTING:

October 28 – November 6, 2011 – The University of Texas Department of Theatre & Dance presents DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE at the B. Iden Payne Theatre (300 E. 23rd St.), located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building. A map of the campus: http://texasperformingarts.org/visit/maps_directions. Performance times are October 28, 20, November 2-4 at 8:00 p.m, and October 30 and November 6 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets ($20 adults, $17 UT faculty & staff, $15 student) are now on sale at the following authorized ticket outlets, which include the Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at www.TexasPerformingArts.org, or by calling (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-BEVO.