Release date: Jan. 21, 2004
Contact: Sally Corbett, Director of Public Relations, Arts,
at 404-727-6678 or sacorbe@emory.edu

Theater Emory Premieres Silent Film-styled "Life Goes On"

Theater Emory will push the boundary between theater and film with the premiere of "Life Goes On," believed to be the first-ever American production of a play in the style of a black and white silent film. Emory University theater studies professor John Ammerman aims to recreate the feel of a 1920s silent film using unusual costuming, set design, acting styles and "every shade of gray imaginable" in presenting "Life Goes On."

Written and directed by Ammerman, the play follows the story of one Detroit family's encounter with the 1929 stock market crash. The production will be silent except for live piano accompaniment composed and performed by Brian Mercer, and will rely on the actors' use of movement and expression to tell its story of finding hope in the darkest of times. Eight performances of "Life Goes On" will be presented April 15-24 in Theater Emory's Mary Gray Munroe Theater. For tickets and information, call 404-727-5050 or go to www.emory.edu/ARTS.

The concept of this production developed out of Ammerman's own interest in silent films and his desire to explore the challenge of conveying emotion, thought and relationship through the beauty of physical action. "The idea arose during the many years I spent writing and performing pantomimes for the theater," says Ammerman. "I have been a fan of silent films since I was a child, and I wanted to bring the 'style' of this form to the stage." Inspiration for the play came from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers and Marcel Marceau, with whom Ammerman studied.

The story centers on a wealthy family in Detroit just before the 1929 stock market crash. The play opens with a wedding celebration for the daughter of a wealthy banker, played by Kim Shipley, in the lobby of that banker's hotel. Word comes that the market has crashed, and subsequently the banker commits suicide. The story then jumps to one year later, and follows the exploits of the groom (played by student Eric Reeser) --now a struggling banker himself--the bride (played by student Anne Maxwell), the bride's family, and a Chaplinesque bellhop (played by Lauren Gunderson) as they struggle with life in the Great Depression. Additional cast members include Marshall Marden, Kathleen McManus, Suzanne Jordan Roush, Karen Whitaker and Emory students Daniel Bayer, Erica Hodgdon, Melissa Roy and David Silverstein.

To suggest the two-dimensional feel of a movie screen, the stage will be set in a frame of drapes like those found in a period movie house. Everything in the audience's view will be shades of gray, including prints and patterns. There even will be a black and gray dog that will appear onstage. "Dialogue slates" also will appear to complete the illusion of a 1920's-era movie experience.

While other plays have taken inspiration from silent films, "Life Goes On" is the first presented entirely in the style of a black and white silent film. "This piece is different from previous silent-film-based productions in that it is in total silence (except for the live piano), it is completely set in a 'black and white' world, and it relies on the use of movement and gesture as a language," says Ammerman. "I am excited to be able to direct a piece that is completely behavioral, in which relationships are portrayed strictly by manner and visual expression. I am looking forward to exploring the art of movement in a way that one is rarely able to do."

A related production, "The Great Nickelodeon Show" on March 24, also presents a rare blend of film and acting in an attempt to recreate an early 1900's nickelodeon theater, in which movies and music shared the stage with vaudeville acts. This one-time only show is a part of the Coca-Cola Artists-in-Residence Series at Emory University. "The Great Nickelodeon Show" takes place at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Studio, 1804 N. Decatur Road. Tickets are $5 for the general public and free for Emory students.

"Life Goes On" will take place in the Mary Gray Munroe Theater, Dobbs Center, 605 Asbury Circle, Emory. General admission tickets are $15 for general public; $12 for Emory faculty, staff and discount groups; and $6 for Emory students. Tickets may be purchased through the Arts at Emory Box Office at 404-727-5050 or online at www.emory.edu/ARTS/. Parking is available in the Peavine Parking Deck. Performance dates and times follow:
April 15-17, 22- 24 at 8 p.m.;
April 16 (pay-what-you-can performance)
April 18 and 24 at 2 p.m.
An "Artists Up Close" discussion follows the show on April 18.

THEATER EMORY
Theater Emory is the producing organization of Emory University and is affiliated with the Department of Theater Studies. It is a member of the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts and operates under a seasonal agreement with Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

ARTS AT EMORY MISSION
Emory University provides a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment for the study, creation, and presentation of the arts.

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