CONWAY, Ark.
(August 30, 2017) – An award-winning new play will debut in a staged reading in
early September at Hendrix College in Conway. The reading is part of the annual
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Playwright’s Theatre, during which Hendrix alumni and
students will present the play.
The reading of The Immortal
Katie Stewart by Allison Price, winner of the 2017 Hendrix-Murphy Student
Playwriting Contest, will be presented on Friday, September 8, at 7 p.m. in Cabe
Theatre on the Hendrix College campus. The event is free and open to the
public. No tickets or reservations are required. The reading will be followed
by an audience discussion and a reception in Mills Lobby. The reading is
co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance.
The
play is about what happens “when a
fairy godmother gives a young girl the opportunity to become Cinderella and she
decides to become immortal instead,” according to Price. Playwriting contest
judge Sofya Weitz described the play as a “delightful, funny, and fast-moving
story.”
Allison Price ‘17 from Starkville, Mississippi, graduated from
Hendrix with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Theatre. She currently works in the
publishing and editing industry.
Hendrix
alumni, students, and staff will be involved in all other aspects of the
production as well. Sarah Engeler-Young ‘91 of Conway will direct the reading.
The cast
is led by Ivy McGrew ‘17, reading the part of the titular Katherine “Katie”
Stewart. The cast will also include Ben Fish ‘13 as Peter, Werner Trieschmann ‘86
as the Narrator, and Natalie Canerday ‘85 as the Fairy Godmother. Laura Rhea
Thurman ‘84 will read the part of the Fairy Queen, Alecia Hendrix ‘01 that of
the Princess, and Mark Young ‘01 that of the Prince.
An
annual staged reading series, Playwright’s Theatre evolved in 1999 from the
annual Alumni and Student Playwriting Contests first sponsored by the
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation in 1986. The program was designed to cultivate the
skills of fledgling playwrights who are current or former Hendrix students. A
professional playwright judges the competitions, one for students and the other
for alumni. Playwright’s Theatre, founded by Professor Danny Grace and Dr.
Rosemary E. Henenberg, Willis H. Holmes Distinguished Professor of Theatre
Arts, Emerita, extends the efforts of the contest by enabling winners of the
alumni contest to see their plays in staged readings that often involve both
alumni and students as cast and production crew.
This
reading is co-sponsored by the Hendrix College Department of Theatre Arts and
Dance and the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language,
which are designed to enhance and enrich the study and teaching of literature
and language at Hendrix College. For more information about this and future
events, please contact Henryetta Vanaman at 501-450-4597 or vanaman@hendrix.edu.
Following are brief bios of the alumni
cast and crew members:
Natalie Canerday ‘85 studied Theatre Arts at Hendrix
before pursuing a career as a professional actress. She has appeared in over 40
feature films, shorts, and television programs, as well as nearly 100 stage
productions. She has received the Best Actress Award at the Gatlinburg Screen
Festival (2009) and the Hendrix Odyssey Award for Lifetime Achievement in
Artistic Creativity (2008). Additionally, she serves on the Advisory Board of
the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival and was nominated for the Screen Actors
Guild Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast (1996). She now lives in
Little Rock and can be frequently seen at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse.
Sarah Engeler-Young ‘91 graduated from Hendrix with
Distinction in both Sociology and Theatre Arts and holds an M.A. in Theatre
History and Criticism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sarah has
taught theatre history and dramatic literature in the Hendrix Theatre Arts
& Dance department and has been the office and building manager for the
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language for the past 12
years. Sarah was the 1994 winner of the Hendrix-Murphy Alumni Playwriting
Contest, has enjoyed acting in Playwright’s Theatre numerous times, and is
delighted to direct this year’s reading.
Ben Fish ‘13 has been involved in theatre productions
since he was nine years old. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, he served as an
intern at the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre, working as an actor,
assistant stage manager, set builder, and light and sound technician for
various productions. Since his graduation from Hendrix with a degree in Theatre
Arts, he has entered training to become a certified apprentice lighting
technician for Lumatech.
Alecia Hendrix ’01 was born and raised in El Dorado,
Arkansas. After graduating from Hendrix with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, she
embarked on a 16-year career in finance, working with the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, Veterans Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to
provide housing for low- to moderate-income families. She currently spends more
time instructing and advising others in the industry, and advocating for better
housing and finance regulations. When not crunching numbers, she enjoys
traveling, spending time with her extended family, and staying close with her
Hendrix friends.
Ivy McGrew ’18 is from Petit Jean, Arkansas. She is
on track to graduate from Hendrix with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. In her time at
Hendrix, she has performed as Sarah in Time
Stands Still, the 2016 Hendrix Senior Seminar production, and as Catherine
in Proof, the 2017 Senior Seminar
production.
Laura Rhea Thurman ’84 participated either on stage or
behind the scenes in every theatre production during her time at Hendrix. She
graduated with a degree in Theatre Arts, and since then has been involved in
many more theatrical productions, including Dearly
Departed, Suzanne, The Women, and The
Children’s Hour, in which she was cast alongside her daughter. She
currently lives in Hixson, Texas, and teaches reading to elementary students.
She is excited and grateful to the Hendrix Players and to the larger Hendrix
community for the opportunity to return to Cabe Theatre for Playwright’s
Theatre.
Werner Trieschmann ‘86 is a playwright, director, and
theatre instructor. He was the writer and director for the world premiere
production of Mozart: Revealed and Schubert: Revealed with
the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His numerous plays have
been produced across the United States, Canada and, most recently, in England, Australia,
Japan and Romania. In addition to a B.A. in English from Hendrix, he holds an
M.F.A. in playwriting from Boston University. He lives in Little Rock and teaches
theater, film, and creative writing at University of Arkansas – Pulaski
Technical College.
Mark Young ‘01 has performed in Playwright’s Theatre
several times since his graduation from Hendrix with a degree in Theatre Arts. During
his time at Hendrix, he acted in various plays, and now works in the marketing
and public speaking fields, as well as helps manage day-to-day operations for
Taziki’s Mediterranean Café in central Arkansas.
About Hendrix
College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way
You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and
value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists,
and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United
Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.