McCoy Theatre’s ‘Fabulation’ both free, fabulous

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Graphic courtesy of the McCoy Theatre

McCoy Theatre’s Fabulation advertisement

Noah Mesa '21, Staff Writer

On Nov. 9 and 10 at 7:30 PM, Rhodes College has been preparing to perform Fabulation or, The Re-education of Undine complete with a reception at the McCoy Theater.
Directed by Thomas King, the performance was written by Lynn Nottage, a professor at Columbia University and a Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright who specializes in Black theatrical performance with her complex characters.

Coincidently, Southwest Community College has performed another piece by Dr. Nottage, Crumbs from the Table of Joy during October and the University of Memphis performed her Intimate Apparel the first days of November.

The managing director Kevin Collier has handled the business and logistics of the performances. He said, “We [the different colleges] all scheduled these separately, and we found out that we were doing the same author in a six week period of time.”

The co-publicity has been great according to Collier, and there will also be a final event on Nov. 11 with all the three colleges performing highlights of their respective performances at the Dixon Gallery.

For their 38th season, the McCoy Theater will make all public performances including Fabulation or, The Re-education of Undine free to both the Rhodes and greater Memphis community. While tickets are free, reservations are recommended by emailing mccoy@rhodes.edu or calling 901-643-3839.

This performance has required actors (both those new to the stage and veterans of the craft) and stage technicians who is led by the Stage Manager and Assistant Director Andrea Hargrove ’19. While the actors had auditioned for their roles, the stage technicians use their lab hours from their class to help construct the set.

One of the actors, Elijah Tyler ’21 said, “I am so excited to be working with the Theater Department again.”

The season brochure from the McCoy Theater has summarized the play as, “Undine Barnes Calles in an ambitious African American woman whose best-laid plans don’t ago accordingly. On the brink of social and financial ruin, Undine tries to retreat to her childhood home and forgotten family only to discover she must cope with her cruel new reality. She faces the challenge of transforming her setbacks into small victories in a battle to reaffirm her right to be.”

The play will also be performed Nov.15-18 at 7:30 expect for Nov. 17 which will be at 2 PM.