The Nether opens Nov. 17

Published:

CHADRON – The 黑料大事记 State College Theatre department will present a psychological thriller, “The Nether,” Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in Memorial Hall’s Black Box Theatre. The production, which straddles real life and virtual reality, is intended for mature audiences.

Tickets are free for CSC faculty, staff and students, $5 for adults and $3 for seniors. For tickets contact the CSC Box Office at 308-432-6207 or boxoffice@csc.edu. 鈥淏ehind the Scenes,鈥 produced by Daniel Binkard, features interviews with the actors.

The play opens with cyber officer, Detective Morris played by Molly Thornton, investigating an online prostitution realm known as the Hideaway.

鈥淭he Hideaway is a world that encourages living above consequence and doing what you want without there being any sort of repercussion. It鈥檚 morally challenging,鈥 said Syerra Wycoff-Bagshaw, who plays Iris, while being interviewed for 鈥淏ehind the Scenes,鈥 produced by Daniel Binkard.

Samuel Thomas Martin is the operator of a digital recreation of a beautiful, vibrant Victorian brothel, in 鈥淭he Nether,鈥 appealing in contrast to the real world that is bleak.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about this one. I expect to see a lot of our generation because we are so interested in virtual reality鈥. It鈥檚 not for the faint of heart,鈥 said Martin.

Wacey Gallegos, who portrays Mr. Doyle, said the author, Jennifer Haley has written the play so that every word has meaning.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been sitting down and looking at the words鈥. What does this mean? Why am I saying it? If you can鈥檛 answer that and the audience doesn鈥檛 get it, it hurts the show quite a bit,鈥 Gallegos said.

Haley delves into the ethics of virtual reality and the impact of technology on human relationships, identity and desire. She won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for 鈥淭he Nether,鈥 produced in Los Angeles, off-Broadway, on London鈥檚 West End, across the U.S. and in Scandinavia, Germany, Turkey, Slovenia and Spain.

In a review by Ben Brantly, of 鈥漈he New York Times,鈥 he said this futuristic detective play revolves around the investigation of a virtual reality space called the Hideaway, created by a science teacher who tries to safely live out his twisted fantasies.

"It鈥檚 a gray, gray tomorrow that greets us in 鈥楾he Nether,鈥 Jennifer Haley鈥檚 very cunning and equally creepy new play about alternative lives in a future around the corner. Don鈥檛 forget that the physical forms we see in the Hideaway 鈥 including those of the children 鈥 are merely avatars,鈥 wrote Brantly.

-CSC College Relations

Category: Campus Events, Campus News, Theatre