University of Arkansas Theatre Presents 'Kin' by Bathsheba Doran Nov. 7-16

Guadalupe Campos as Anna and Stephanie Bignault as Helena.

Bill Rogers as Adam and Britney Walker-Merritte as Kay.

Robert Flaherty Hart as Max and Jason Shipman as Sean.

James Odom as Simon and Guadalupe Campos as Anna.

Robert Flaherty Hart as Max and Laura Shatkus as Linda.

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Robert Flaherty Hart as Max and Jason Shipman as Sean in 'Kin'

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Department of Theatre in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will present the new comedy-drama Kin by Bathsheba Doran. The show opens Friday, Nov. 7, and will continue until Sunday, Nov. 16, at the University Theatre in the Fine Arts Center.

Kin tells the story of Anna, a poetry scholar from Texas, and Sean, a personal trainer from Ireland. When the two embark on a romantic relationship, their web of family and friends slowly begins to form a new kinship in this, funny, thoughtful and moving play.

Doran, who has written for the television series Boardwalk Empire and Smash, is a British playwright who earned a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University. When Kin debuted in New York in 2011, the New York Times called it “simply terrific, perhaps the finest new play of the season.”

The play is directed by Amy Herzberg (33 Variations, TheatreSquared’s One Man, Two Guvnors), professor of theatre and head of acting for the department. The cast features Master of Fine Arts students Guadalupe Campos, Stephanie Bignault, Laura Shatkus, Britney Walker-Merritte, Jason Shipman, James Taylor Odom, Bill Rogers and Robert Flaherty Hart. Undergraduate students Priscilla White and Grant Hockenbrough are also in the cast.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Nov. 7-8 and 12-15 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 and 16. All performances are at the University Theatre.

Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and Univesrity of Arkansas faculty and staff and $5 for students. Tickets are free for University of Arkansas students with a valid university ID for the Wednesday and Thursday performances.

Audience members are strongly encouraged to make reservations in advance. Students must make their reservations in person at the box office to receive student prices.

The box office for Kin will be open from 11:45 a.m-1:45 p.m. Monday-Friday between Nov. 3 and 15. The box office is also open two hours prior to each performance. Tickets are also available online or by phone at (479) 575-4752.

The Department of Theatre has been providing exciting and affordable live theatre for more than 60 years. The department combines a first-rate theatrical education, including hands-on experience, with a wide selection of titles to challenge students and delight the community. The department produces eight shows a year: four large-scale productions in the University Theatre and four smaller shows in the Studio Series. Shows range from new works to classic favorites, from period pieces to Broadway musicals. For more information, visit the department’s website.