Sydney Kruger (left) and Ella Knight (right) appear as Fern and Winnie in the LeeU Theatre performance of “Castlewood” by Bethany Paulsen.
Lee Theatre will present “Castlewood,” written by Bethany Paulsen, on Feb. 14-15 and 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Buzz Oates Blackbox Theatre.
Directed by Anna Marie Brendel, assistant professor of theatre at Lee, the play follows the story of young Winifred who is sent to the English countryside during the London Blitz of 1940 to escape the horrors of war. When she arrives there, she meets an eccentric boy named Edwin, with whom she creates an imaginary world in the woods. This coming-of-age play explores ideas of escapism, grief, and what it means to be happy.
"We are so excited to bring ‘Castlewood’ to our campus, and to our greater Cleveland community,” said Ms. Brendel. “This marks a unique opportunity for our students to engage with and bring visibility to a new work of play literature. This student cast and crew have done a great job collaborating on bringing a new story to life and have fully committed to the process. We, as a program, are looking forward to welcoming playwright Bethany Paulsen to Lee to enjoy seeing her play in a fresh context."
The show’s cast includes Lee students Ella Knight, Ethan Klemenz, and Sydney Kruger. The production crew includes Lee students Hannah Kendrick as stage manager, Gabrielle Banker as assistant stage manager, Minnie Brock as set designer and costume designer, Derrick Vanmeter as set design mentor, Macy Brown as costume design mentor, and Max Guinn as lighting designer. Ms. Brendel is the show’s sound designer and Lee Theatre alum, Laura Hicks, is technical director and master carpenter.
Immediately following the Feb. 14 performance, “Castlewood” playwright Bethany Paulsen will be giving a talkback, an interactive Q&A discussion, for those interested. This is not a separately ticketed event.
Tickets are available online at Eventbrite.com or at Lee Theatre’s box office, located in the Communication Arts Building. The box office is open 4-6 p.m. during the week of the show and one hour prior to each performance.
The box office and Buzz Oates Blackbox Theatre are located in Lee University’s Communication Arts Building.
For more information on Lee Theatre, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/theatre/, call the box office at 614-8360, or follow LeeUTheatre on Facebook.