Written by Sean Gaffney, Moreau is a play based on H.G. Wells’ novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. This show continues Covenant College’s 2015-2016 season and will be directed by Professor Camille Hallstrom.
A sci-fi thriller, Moreau follows ship-wrecked Edward Prendick, as he discovers the horrors hidden on a mad scientist’s island. The play is an exploration of how science can be made into a god and how, in turn, it can convince us that we ourselves are gods.
The director of the show, Professor Camille Hallstrom, says “I first came across this remarkable play when Globalstage put Taproot Theatre’s original production on video. A science horror story, the play sticks close to the novel in the first half, but takes some creative license later, making for hugely engaging drama, but also a great discussion of themes like ‘science as god,’ and ‘what does it actually mean to be human?’ There’s even a hint of the potential for future atrocity via gene splicing and the like, warning us we tend to be ‘a species that desires knowledge faster than understanding -- who seeks information over wisdom.’”
A panel discussion following the Feb. 20 performance will examine such themes with medical doctor and theology professor Dr. Hans Madueme, biology professor Dr. Richard Nelson and the director.
Matthew Mindeman, who has the role of Prendick commented, “Moreau is a thrilling story with a surprising amount of depth.” Likewise, William Darby who plays the character Moreau, says, “I think the theme of what really defines humanity becomes much more real when it is acted out by men and women --” seeing that idea wrestled out onstage, rather than merely on the pages of a book should prove an experience worth the effort to see. Mindeman concludes, “I think we will produce something really compelling.”
Moreau will have its final dress rehearsal on Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the final dress rehearsal will be $3 for students, staff, and seniors and $5 for adults.
The play opens Feb. 19 with performances running Feb. 19, 20, 26 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for the performances will be $5 for students, staff, and seniors, and $7 for adults.
To reserve tickets, or for more information, call the box office at 706-419-1051 or email boxoffice@covenant.edu.