Alex Ingram as Nina and Russell Alexander as Con in Theatre UAB's "SFB"
Theatre UAB students will tackle an edgy new play described by some as Chekhov’s “The Seagull” on steroids.
“SFB,” an irreverent, contemporary and very funny play, has been a runaway success in professional theaters across the country. A reimagining of “The Seagull” by the playwright and director Aaron Posner, “SFB” is a play that possesses profound transformational potential and power. It remains faithful to the exploration of Chekhov’s complicated themes of art, personal existence and the vicissitudes of love, while bringing a cutting-edge modernistic sensibility and sense of humor to the telling.
Theatre UAB, the performance company of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Theatre, will present “SFB” at 7:30 p.m. nightly Nov. 11-14 and Nov. 18-20, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, Nov. 21, in UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Odess Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. South. This play contains strong adult language and themes. Tickets are $15, student tickets are $6, and UAB employee and senior citizen tickets are $10. Call 205-934-3236 or visit the department online at www.uab.edu/cas/theatre.
The opportunity to work on such a play means graduates will be familiar with what is artistically current, says director Dennis McLernon.
“More importantly, it provides young actors the opportunity to speak with an authentic voice of their own generation, expressing urgent thoughts, beliefs and anxieties about their own identifiable circumstances,” McLernon said. “This kind of artistic ownership adds indomitable power and purpose to their experience.”
| Theatre UAB will present “SFB” at 7:30 p.m. nightly Nov. 11-14 and Nov. 18-20, with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday, Nov. 21. This play contains strong adult language and themes. Tickets are $15, student tickets are $6, and UAB employee and senior citizen tickets are $10. |
“SFB” wages a timeless battle between young and old, past and present, for the true meaning of it all. An aspiring young director rails against art created by his mother’s generation; a nubile young actress wrestles with an aging Hollywood star for the affections of a renowned novelist; and everyone discovers just how disappointing life, art and growing up can be.
The result is a work of art that is compellingly timely as well as being universal in its timelessness. It explores the pain of love honestly while giving a wink and a nod to the absurdity of life, McLernon says.
The cast is Russell Alexander of Montgomery as Con; Alex Ingram of Birmingham as Nina; Carron Clem of Decatur as Emma; Calvin Nielsen of Budapest, Hungary, as Trig; Joseph Baude of Atlanta as Sorn; Alora King of Boonsboro, Maryland, as Masha; and Seth Burgess of Gardendale as Dev. The crew includes costume design by Phoebe Miller of Birmingham; stage management by Victoria Morales of San Jose, California; and assistant stage management by Bliss Bailey of Montgomery and Noah Parsons of Pell City.
Theatre faculty members and staff contributing to the production include voice and diction coaching by Marlene Johnson, scenic design by Cliff Simon, lighting design by Kelly Allison, property design by J. Marc Quattlebaum, and audio design by Sean Allan Doyle.