January 17, 2020
The University of Montana Western’s Fine Arts Department is pleased to present its fifth show in the 2019-20 Bank of Commerce Performing Arts Series. Performances of “He Said and She Said,” a one act comedy written in 1921 by Alice Gerstenberg, will be held at UMW in the Small Auditorium (Main Hall 314) Jan. 30- Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
According to student director Cole Irwin, “He Said and She Said” is about Enid Haldeman, who invites two friends, the manipulative Mrs. Packard and society girl Diana Chesbrough, to dine with her and her husband Felix. However, upon arriving, Mrs. Packard has a piece of gossip for Enid about Diana that threatens to ruin the night.
Throughout the production, clever word play is used, as characters rarely finish their thoughts or say exactly what they mean, making other characters assume the worst and even relay distorted messages. The play is set in 1914 and is a cautionary tale focusing on the problems that rumors can create.
“I am proud of the actors and their portrayal of the characters, and I could not have hoped for more dedication from them,” said Irwin.
In addition to “He Said and She Said,” other short performances will take place each night. Montana Western students in the “Introduction to Directing and Play Production” class will direct the shows under the supervision of Marcus Todd, Assistant Professor and Technical Director.
“We have great young students and directors coming up, and we are excited to see what they are going to bring to the stage from what they are learning in class. It’s really about them,” said Todd.
Additional support for this play and all of the 2019-20 theatre productions was provided by ASUMW/Student Senate. Tickets are available at the door and are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and free for Montana Western students.
For more information, please contact student Production Assistant Brandon Hunter at [email protected], or Professor of Fine Arts and Education, Judy Ulrich, by calling 406-683-7422.
