DETROIT- The Studio Theatre presents its fourth production, an evening of two compelling one-act plays, Gladiator by Richard Caliban and A Gaggle of Saints by Neil Labute, playing March 1 through March 10, 2012. Each one-act delivers a powerful psychological drama dealing with absolutes. Tickets are $10-$12 and are available by calling (313) 577-2972, by visiting www.wsustudio.com or by stopping at the Wayne State University Theatres Box Office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock.

Gladiator director Kassy Skoretz describes the Studio Theatre as providing "fruitful limitations" to the theatrical experience due to its intimacy and accessibility via the close proximity of its stage to the audience. [Gladiator] "is powerful and complex. It refuses to settle despite the message that love is all powerful," explains Skoretz. A Gaggle of Saints is equally complex. that "In this play, love and compassion do not necessarily conquer all in the end," explains director Julie Moriarty. "It spoke to me; there is something about it that I wanted to resolve and explore...the global ideal of good and evil."

In Gladiator, Peter, an idealistic journalist, is writing a book about the psychology of survival. He interviews Bill Findlay, a murderer serving a life sentence in prison. Their interview quickly turns into a lesson about survival for which neither man is prepared.

Caliban was the Artistic Director at The Cucaracha Theatre, which the New York Times once proclaimed, "the most exciting experimental theatre in New York City." A playwright and a director, he has written a handful of full-length plays including the one-act Gladiator, which has been produced at more than a dozen colleges nationwide since it was first published in 1995.

A Gaggle of Saints is one of a set of three short plays that constitute Bash: Latter-Day Plays, an off-Broadway work that Neil Labute wrote in 2000. It portrays a young couple as they recount a weekend in New York City. Their actions call into question the density of the line between good and evil. In a way that only LaBute can manage, this couple represents the difficulties of labeling an individual based solely on their actions or their personality. The play ruminates on what makes a man and how that man may be classified.

LaBute has received high praise from critics for his unsettling portrayals of humans in plays such as The Shape of Things and Reasons to Be Pretty. Bash: Latter-Day Plays depicts "good" Latter-day Saints doing disturbing and violent things.

The cast includes (in alphabetical order)

Gladiator: James Jordan (Southfield, MI) as Peter, Mike Meike (Riverview, MI) as Bill and Stuart Sturton (Dexter, MI) as Joe.

A Gaggle of Saints: Sydney Machesky (Shelby Township, MI) as Sue and Cory Thomas (Canton, MI) as John.

The production team includes

Julie Moriarty (Director, Gaggle), Kassy Skoretz (Director, Gladiator), Meghan Lynch (Stage Manager), Lisa Berg (Scenic Designer), Cheryl Churchill (Costume Designer), Amy Schneider (Lighting Designer), and Patrick Pozezinski (Publicist).

About the Studio Theatre

The Studio Theatre is an intimate, 110-seat, open-stage theatre in the lower level of the Hilberry Theatre on Wayne State University's campus that is often used for experimental, student and classroom productions. Annual programming includes the Ph.D. Directors' Series, the Student Stage and the Louise Heck-Rabi Dramatic Writing Competition. For nearly fifty years the Studio Theatre has presented great theatre featuring WSU undergraduate students. With generous support from WSU Theatres' patrons and donors, the Studio Theatre recently underwent renovation.

The Wayne State University Theatre Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. and two hours before show time at the Hilberry Theatre. Tickets may be purchased upstairs at the Hilberry Theatre at 4743 Cass Avenue. There will be no late seating. Regular tickets are available for $12, and $10 discounted tickets are available to students, seniors age 62+ and Wayne State University faculty, staff and Alumni Association members. Group discounts are also available. For more information about the Studio Theatre, please visit the theatre's website at www.wsustudio.com.

Gladiator
By Richard Caliban
A Gaggle of Saints
By Neil Labute

-Calendar Information-
March 1 - 10, 2012

Thursday 8 p.m. March 1, March 8
Friday 8 p.m. March 2, March 9
Saturday 8 p.m. March 3, March 10

Top Photo: Left to right: Mike Meike as Bill and James Jordan as Peter

Bottom Photo: Left to right: Cory Thomas as John and Sydney Machesky as Sue

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.