Sophie Treadwell’s 1928 true crime account of a murder and its prosecution is the next production in the NIU School of Theatre and Dance’s season lineup. Machinal opens Friday, November 1 in the Black Box Theatre in NIU’s Stevens Building.
Treadwell, a playwright and journalist based the story on Ruth Snyder, a New York woman convicted of the murder of her husband, Albert and executed via the electric chair in 1928.
This adaptation is directed by Alexander Gelman, who is distinguished engagement professor, head of M.F.A. acting and head of performance in the School of Theatre and Dance.
Performance dates and times are November 1, 2, 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. with matinees November 3 and 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at go.niu.edu/arts-tickets, and NIU students are admitted free of charge with a reserved ticket.
Machinal
by Sophie Treadwell
Nov. 1-3 and 7-9
Black Box Theatre
Director: Alexander Gelman
Assistant Director: Elizabeth Karth
Lighting Designer: Kev Kollmann
Technical Director: Bridget Kearbey
Voice Coach: Stanton Davis
Intimacy Choreographer: Bethany Mangum-Oles
Stage Manager: Autumn R. Dancy
This show is approximately two hours and ten minutes with one intermission.
Warning: Haze effects are used in this performance.
Cast
Adding Clerk/Husband/Man behind Bar/Judge/Barber 1 – Sebastián Vega
Filing Clerk/Boy/Doctor/Man/Court Reporter – Skylar Thompson
Stenographer/Woman/Nurse/Reporter #2 – Richmond Fredrickson
Telephone Girl/Wife/Defense Lawyer – Chloe Konieczki
George H. Jones/Priest – Avery Flores
Young Woman – Audrey Geysbeek
Mother/Matron – Sonya Dunn
Garbage Man/Bell Boy /Bailiff/First Guard – Leni
Young Man/Second Man/Prosecution Lawyer/Barber 2 – Tonio Horn
Girl/Man at Bar/Clerk/Reporter #3 – Lauren Roth
Woman/Woman at Bar/First Reporter – Haley Johnson
Man/Second Reporter/Second Guard – Matthew Chagoya
Singer/Third Reporter/Jailer – Natalie Olsen
First Man/Man/Reporter #1 – King Johnson
For cast and production team bios view the full program at: niuarts.com/theatre-programs.
