Our Dystopian Moment: 2017 and the Politics of URINETOWN

The Theater Department invites you to join them for a free event on Tuesday:

Our Dystopian Moment: 2017 and the Politics of Urinetown (Panel Discussion)

Tuesday, February 21, 4:30pm in the Moore Theater, Hopkins Center

Dystopian stories are often meant to warn us of certain dangers looming on the horizon. Through its depiction of a post-apocalyptic world in which a corporation controls water consumption, Urinetown conveys a clear warning of state corruption and climate change.  But what purpose might dystopian narratives serve in our post-election moment, when the warnings have perhaps come too late? Might we find hope in theater?  Please join director Jamie Horton, Professor Steve Swayne from the Department of Music, and theatre scholar Daniel Sack from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for a discussion on how the dystopian vision of Urinetown resonates for audiences today.  Professor Laura Edmondson, Chair of the Department of Theater, will moderate the discussion.

Members of the cast will perform a brief excerpt from the show to spark the discussion, which will conclude with a reception on the Urinetown set (Moore Stage).