Campus News

Award-winning University Theatre playwright stages short, original works

University Theatre will present a series of short, original works from award-winning writer and UGA lecturer John Patrick Bray Feb. 4-9 at 8 p.m. in the Seney-Stovall Chapel.

A 2:30 p.m. matinée will be held Feb. 9. Tickets are $12 and $7 for students. They can be purchased at http://www.drama.uga.edu/box-office, by phone at 706-542-4400, in-person at the Performing Arts Center, the Tate Center box office or at the door before the shows.

Fairy godmothers, the bluegrass bar that gave birth to punk, the government’s secret Department of Extraterrestrial Findings and other oddities come to life in a series of original short plays by Bray.

“Bray’s short, quirky works are sure to delight,” said David Saltz, head of UGA’s theatre and film studies department.

Bray’s Plays features eight of his short plays. Each play has a different director, allowing the audience to see eight separate approaches to Bray’s work each night. Seven faculty and graduate students direct the series of selections designed to make spectators laugh a lot, cry a little and perhaps scratch their heads once or twice.

Cookies follows the efforts of a duo of children to acquire sweets. Southern Werewolf takes the audience to a world where love really does bite. Watery Grave invokes the legendary single toilet-sans stall-bathroom of iconic punk club CBGB. Eleanor’s Passing reminds us to keep living even when life looks bleakest. Coffee On brings the audience the secret lives of coffee shop workers. On Top explores the titillating and sometimes devastating effect the scent of a candle can have. Green Sound sees two misunderstood people develop a deeply intuitive connection based on absolute acceptance. Tech Support of the Darned allows us to eavesdrop on the water cooler talk of secret government employees. These “letters to the world,” as Bray calls them, make it clear what draws audiences around the country to his work.

Bray rapidly is earning a reputation in New York and across the country as a playwright.