Face Off Theatre will close its 6th season with Exit Strategy by Ike Holter, a contemporary Chicago playwright who has seen the challenges and scandals public schools face in his community. Cara Lieurance talks to director and Face Off co-founder Marissa Harrington and cast member David Noyes about the play, which opens with a vice-principal announcing to teachers and staff that the school is slated to close at the end of the year.
David Noyes says his character is a veteran teacher of over 20 years whose up-and-down experiences have given him strong opinions, but his opinions don’t always count for much with his colleagues. He talks about Holter’s realistic writing style, and the across-the-board talent of the other six actors in the play.
This play has been on her wish list for three years, says Marissa Harrington. As it happens, it made a perfect pairing with July’s production of “Exception to the Rule,” about a group of students in detention. She says this is a new play that can help us process the huge and sometimes controversial topic of public education, through the viewpoints of diverse characters.
The show will be staged at 7:30 pm Thurs, Oct 19 - Sun, Oct 22 in the Joliffe Theatre of the Epic Center in downtown Kalamazoo. The theatre has a policy of pay-what-you-will to encourage all to attend. Post-performance discussions will also be held. More information is at the Face Off Theatre website.
