Kenny and Richie Discuss Manhood in Topsy Turvy Mouse
The Department of Theatre and Dance at Gustavus Adolphus College is pleased to open the 2008-09 Anderson Theatre season with Topsy Turvy Mouse. Written by Peter Gil-Sheridan and directed by Amy Seham, this award winning play will be performed in Anderson Theatre on October 24, 25, 31 and November 1 at 8:00 p.m., with a matinee performance on October 26 at 2:00 p.m.
Topsy Turvy Mouse imagines the legacy of today’s violence and the effect that it will have on future generations. Richie Haney has been sheltered from the truth of his family’s past. When he discovers photographs of his parents’ alleged crimes, he is both fascinated and confused. Armed with a camera of his own, he begins to experiment and role-play with his friend Amit, but the line between the virtual and real worlds is soon blurred. What seems like innocent fun soon turns destructive. As one character points out, if you do something, if you act out the game, you’re no longer just pretending. In both shocking and comic scenes, Topsy Turvy Mouse investigates questions of loneliness, fear, difference, and personal responsibility; questions that ultimately cause us to take stock of our entire value system.
Topsy Turvy Mouse is one part of a larger commitment by the Department of Theatre and Dance to “emphasize the value of performance as a vital means of working for social justice and personal transformation” (from the department’s Mission Statement.) The cast features students from several academic departments including Gustavus seniors Ella Bonner and Rhea Muchalla, junior Andrea Gullixson, sophomores Eric Noun, Lydia Francis and Christian DeMarais, and first year Ben Batz.
The set design for Topsy Turvy Mouse was created by Micah Maatman, lighting design by Terena Wilkens, and costume design by student designer Larissa Bregenzer.
Tickets are available through the Gustavus Ticket Center at (507) 933-7590. Adult tickets $7.00, Student and senior citizen tickets $5.00, Gustavus students and staff free of charge. Tickets not purchased in advance may be purchased at the Anderson Theatre Box Office beginning one hour prior to curtain.