How can people remain good in a corrupt and desperate world?
That's the question posed by The Good Person of Sichuan, the upcoming Whittier College student play at The Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts, running from Oct. 20-23. Written by renowned playwright Bertolt Brecht, the play has been directed and choreographed by Professor of Theatre & Communication Arts Jennifer S. Holmes, with original music by Shane Cadman.
The Good Person of Sichuan is a parable tale, asking what it means to be good in trying times. The play opens with three gods asking if there are any good people left in the world. They come to Earth in search of such a person before eventually finding Shen Te, a prostitute with a heart of gold, who gives them room for the night. The gods, repaying Shen Te's kindness, reward her with enough wealth to buy a tobacco shop. However, she soon finds that it’s impossible to navigate the world without her ruthless alter ego, Shui Ta.
“It’s powerful,” said Jessie McCollum ’19, who plays both The Niece and Mi Tsu. “It looks at the importance of being good and how the male voice is dominant while the female voice is often disregarded.”
Brecht, an important 20th Century playwright, created Epic Theatre in the belief that using theatre as a tool encouraged people to think and take action in addressing key social issues.
Tickets are on sale now at the Ruth B. Shannon Center website. The play has three evening shows—Oct. 20-22 at 7:30 p.m.—and a closing afternoon performance on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m.
Below, hear an original song from the play, "Pigs Will Fly," performed by Ruben Sanchez ’18, who plays the part of Yang Sun. An instrumental version of "Smoke Song" is also available here.
Cast List:
