CLASS

CLASS Written by Iseult Golden and David Horan An amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books Friday May 7 – Sunday May 9, 2021

Director’s Note What happens when three adults, all of whom are well-intentioned, are gathered into a classroom to discuss one student’s difficulty? For Mr. McCafferty things seem as though they would be fairly simple – meet with the parents, inform them of what’s happening and lay out the plans for helping their son. But there’s one thing he hasn’t taken into consideration – Brain and Donna have never particularly liked school (or teachers). Being of the working class, Brian and Donna have found themselves being treated as inferior by teachers and others of the middle class since they were in school.

Their school being seen as a “difficult environment” and teachers treating the kids however they please since they are seen as lost causes has left the two parents wary of any offer a teacher may extend to help their son. They are now back in the same halls hoping to prevent their son from being subjected to the same experiences.

What immediately struck me about this play was how it transforms a simple premise of a parent-teacher meeting into a wonderfully funny yet poignant exploration of class structure in modern-day Ireland. I find this play to be so wonderful because each of the three adults at one point or another finds themself struggling with feeling alienated from the others and simply asking to be heard, understood, and treated as an equal. Yet things quickly spiral as the others fail to see their own faults in the situation, too preoccupied with being the one in the “right”. We also have the opportunity to see the actors playing Brian and Donna double as two children – their son, Jayden, and Kaylie, Jayden’s classmate who also has a “learning difference”. This doubling of the roles highlights yet another disparity – the parents are treated as though they were kids, with Mr. McCafferty tending to over-explain everything to them while the two kids tend to be talked to as equals, potentially because he feels they can still be helped.

The beauty of this play is that there is no clear-cut hero or villain to the story – instead we get to be witness to three well-meaning yet deeply flawed individuals searching to break the many societal molds each has been forced into while confronting their own biases in the process. So, what happens when three adults, all of whom are well-intentioned, are gathered into a classroom to discuss one student’s difficulty? I’ll leave that open for you to discover as you watch this production of Class.

– Liam Johnson

CAST Liam Johnson – Brian/Jayden Liam is a senior in the ATP and is thrilled to have had the opportunity to put on this production for his senior project. So it seems that Liam is now a graduate of the ATP, last seen as the Officer in Tartuffe. Other credits include Henry V and others in Henry V (Zoom), King Duncan in Macbeth (Studio 115), David in The Rivals (Babcock Theatre), Leo in Big Love (Babcock Theatre), and Buddy Layman in The Diviners (The REP). He would like to extend many thanks to his parents and professors for their unending support and guidance over these past four years. Liam is a proud member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and Marian D. Harrison Scholarship recipient.

Shelice Warr – Donna/Kaylie Shelice is thrilled to be sharing her final production at the U. She is a senior in the ATP. She was previously seen as Elmire in Tartuffe, Fluellen in Henry V (Zoom), Alexandra in The Night Witches (Zoom), and Decius Brutus in Julius Caesar (Studio 115). She wants to thank all of her professors for their constant support and the amount of time they dedicate into making her not only a better actor, but a better human. She’d also like to thank her family for their constant love and encouragement. Proud recipient of the Utahna B. Meilstrup scholarship.

Jack Gardner – Ray McCafferty Jack couldn’t be happier to be culminating his work throughout the ATP with a show like Class. Being a senior, he is grateful to have had the opportunity to perform with some of his closest friends.

Previous credits at the U include Macduff in Macbeth (Studio 115) and Steve in She Kills Monsters (Kingsbury Hall). He thanks his castmates for being so hardworking and dedicated to their craft, as well as his professors for their endless support.

Creative Team Jack Gardner, Liam Johnson, and Shelice Warr – Co-Directors Sarah Shippobotham – Dialect Coach/Intimacy Director Christopher DuVal – Fight Director Arika Schockmel – Properties

Crew Aaron Hoenig/Ailish Harris (Lights and Camera); Alison Stroud (Sound Operator)

Special Thanks To our mentors - Robert Scott Smith, Sarah Shippobotham, Christopher DuVal, and Alexandra Harbold - thank you for sharing your time and input with us and being our outside eye. This production would not have been the same without your collaborations with us.

To Arika Schockmel - many thanks for finding us the numerous props, set pieces, and putting together a few batches of blood. Your contributions truly brought our world together and we are incredibly thankful for all of your work.

To Aaron Hoenig and Ailish Harris - thank you for taking time out of your day to come and help us with the technical elements, allowing this project to be fully realized and captured so it could be shared with those outside of our class and professors.

To our fellow classmates - this year may not have been at all like what we imagined senior year would be like when we began this journey together, but amidst it all each of you pressed on and continued to inspire us with your work and dedication to the craft. Thank you for your constant support and generosity over the past four years.

Thank you to Aaron Swenson for your help with the marketing and distribution of this production.

Thanks to the Actor Training Program, the Department of Theatre, and the University of Utah.