January 15, 2013
The University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance presents the world premiere of Suzan Zeder’s The Edge of Peace, February 1 – 10 at the B. Iden Payne Theatre. Set in the last days of World War II, a young soldier from a small Illinois town has been declared missing in action. Buddy, the soldier’s little brother, refuses to believe what seems inevitable. Told through the visual poetry of sign language, the town's Deaf postman shares the story of one community struggling to make sense of a world at war.
For playwright and UT professor Suzan Zeder, The Edge of Peace is about home and the challenges of leaving home, coming home, and staying home when the danger and adventure of the world is far away. Her cast of compelling characters, including “Tuc,” played by Chicago-based deaf actor Robert Schleifer, and “Nell Hicks,” played by veteran actress and UT professor Franchelle Dorn, takes the audience on a touching journey of loss, hope, and healing.
Zeder has been recognized nationally and internationally as one of the nation’s leading playwrights for audiences of all ages. Her plays have been performed in all fifty states, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Australia, Germany, Israel, Ireland, and New Zealand. She is the three-time winner of the Distinguished Play Award from the American Alliance of Theatre and Education.
The final play of Zeder’s acclaimed trilogy (Mother Hicks, The Taste of Sunrise), The Edge of Peace is produced in partnership with nationally acclaimed Seattle Children’s Theatre (SCT). Director Linda Hartzell (artistic director of SCT) describes Zeder’s masterpiece as a “a drama, mystery and adventure rolled into one. Audiences will fall in love with these characters and their stories. The play really demonstrates the interdependence of community members during times of crisis.”
ASL interpreted performances of The Edge of Peace are on February 3 at 2:00 p.m. and February 9 at 8:00 p.m. To arrange seating for an ASL interpreted performance, patrons should contact the Department of Theatre and Dance in advance at 512-232-5301.
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT:
Staged Readings from Suzan Zeder's Mother Hicks and The Taste of Sunrise
February 9 at 2:30 p.m. at the B. Iden Payne Theatre
Audience members are invited to abridged readings of Mother Hicks and A Taste of Sunrise, the first two plays in Suzan Zeder’s cherished Ware trilogy.
Set against the stark backdrop of the Great Depression in Ware, Illinois, Mother Hicks introduces the audience to three outsiders: a deaf young man, Tuc; a foundling child, known only as Girl, and a mysterious recluse, Mother Hicks, who the townspeople suspect of being a witch.
Set in the roaring twenties, The Taste of Sunrise tells of the night Tuc, the beloved leading character from Mother Hicks, loses his hearing. Follow him through his experiences at the School for the Deaf and his return to his hometown of Ware, Illinois.
The readings will also feature dramaturgical commentary from Suzan Zeder and photos of locations that inspired both plays.
* These abbreviated readings are free and open to the public.