What
Masque, the theatre organization at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and the Department of Humanities and Arts, will present Moises Kaufman’s Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde. In the production, famous author and playwright Oscar Wilde takes legal action against the Marquis of Queensbury for calling him a “posing Sodomite.” The trial is an excuse for Wilde to talk about his beliefs on art and the nature of life. Instead, Oscar himself ends up on trial for gross indecency, setting in motion the events that would ruin him as a public figure and an artist, and eventually lead to his death. The play, whose dialogue is taken from first sources, explores themes of historical and modern homosexuality, censorship, and the role of the artist in society.
Who
WPI senior Dominic DiGiovanni is directing, and junior Patrick Crowe is the producer. WPI senior Steven Vessella will star as Wilde. The 15-member cast features undergraduate and graduate students as well as a former student.
When
Thursday to Saturday, Nov. 20-22, 2008
Performances at 8 p.m. (Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.)
Where
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Little Theatre (rear of Sanford Riley Hall)
100 Institute Road
Worcester, Mass.
Cost
$5 for the Little Theatre performance. Tickets will be on sale this week at WPI’s Campus Center, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They will also be sold on the night of each performance starting at 7:30 p.m. For reservations, email lmferr@wpi.edu.
