Photo by Abbie Baker
DANIELLE KRAMER NEWS EDITOR
The Wartburg Players have been busy working on a new May Term play based around a controversial subject.
The play, “Keely and Du” written by Jane Martin, focuses on the abortion debate through the characters of Du, a right-to-life activist, and Keely, a pregnant rape victim.
“It’s a controversial issue in and of its own right,” Penni Pier, director, said.
“What I’m hoping it does is generate conversation about how we actually operationalize what we believe in.”
Pier said the play was modeled after real events that took place in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with a group called Operation Rescue.
In the play Keely is kidnapped outside an abortion clinic by a group of right-to-life extremists who try to convince her to keep her baby.
The play will also show the actors dramatizing an abortion on stage.
“I think that the nature of the play will probably draw in a lot of people, because they’re interested to see how we portray the abortion issue, and I think a lot of people are interested in the discussion and creating discussion about the issue on campus,” Mary-Kate Arnold, who plays the character “Keely,” said.
Along with Arnold, Stephanie Evans, who plays the character “Du,” said the cast is confident the message of the play will have a positive impact on the Wartburg community.
“We are giving a pretty clear message and it isn’t just one-sided—it does a pretty good job of balancing both extremes,” Evans said.
“It’s interesting how we’re all seniors and have kind of established ourselves at Warburg to be able to have this voice.”
The small cast of five also consists of Arella Swan, Andrew Barnd and Wartburg chemistry professor Denis Drolet.
The play will be held Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22 at 8 p.m. in the McCaskey Lyceum. Admission is free and free-will donations will be accepted. Part of the proceeds will go to Cedar Valley Friends of the Family.
“What’s important to me at this stage is not the lights, the fancy set—it’s letting the words that Jane Martin wrote come to life because she wrote them for a reason,” Pier said.
“It’s not about me, it’s not about the actors, it’s about letting the work live and tell a story.”