'The Shades of Orcus'
Nick Spear as Dr. Thom Warren and Aly Root as Lily rehearse a scene from “The Shades of Orcus.” The play opens November 30 in the FVCC campus theatre. (Courtesy photo)
FVCC’s Theatre Department presents “The Shades of Orcus,” an original play written by alumnus Joshua Kelly. Nightly performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 in the campus theatre in the Arts and Technology building.
“The Shades of Orcus” tells the story of Dr. Thom Warren, an art critic widely scorned for his published reviews on poignant suicides. Dealing with insomnia and professional conflict, his world is upended when a vivacious and quixotic young woman, Lily, comes to his office and convinces him to help her stage her death. What follows is a hellish weekend where the essence of beauty, the failures of philosophy, and the human bonds of solidarity become the subjects of new scrutiny.
The play stars theatre student Aly Root and adjunct professors Nick and Rebecca Spear, both of whom are members of the Equity Actors Union, a professional acting guild.
Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Montana, a master’s in Theatre and Performance Studies from Central Washington University and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has worked as a professional actor, freelance director and designer and has written in various capacities as a playwright, poet and essayist on politics and religion.
Tickets for “The Shades of Orcus” are available at the FVCC Bookstore, online at https://www.fvcc.edu/theatre or at the box office prior to each evening’s performance. Prices are $10 general admission, $5 for seniors and free for all students. The play is recommended for mature audiences only.