51's School of the Arts presents Rajiv Joseph's dark comedy "Gruesome Playground Injuries" to continue the 2020-21 Theatre + Dance academic season. “Gruesome Playground Injuries” will be available on-demand through May 21-25, 2021.
“Just like our two main characters in the play, our real-life theatrical experience has been damaged. I didn’t want to hide the fact that we have an empty house with no audience members, rather I wanted every part of the theatre space and theatrical process exposed for its beauty and simplicity,” said director Corrie Danieley. “The aim of this pandemic show experience was to film a theatre piece without hiding behind smoke and mirrors. We are story makers. We tell stories about our human experiences, our connections and disconnections, and about our common joys and struggles.”
Two childhood friends, Doug and Kayleen, intersect at the most bizarre intervals. These scar-crossed lovers meet at different times of their lives, brought together by injury, heartbreak, and their self-destructive tendencies. With great compassion and humor, Rajiv Joseph (Broadway's “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”) creates a compelling and unconventional love story about the intimacy between two people when they allow their defenses to drop and their wounds to show.
The 51 cast features Timothy Belton, Natalie Hayslett, and Sabrina Mack. Norse Media and Chris Strobel graciously provided filming and editing support during the production process.
“We are in the middle of a world-wide pandemic, so I embraced this fact and filmed this piece of theatre reflecting where we are,” said director Corrie Danieley. “Although wearing masks and social distancing was quite challenging, it is my hope that the story shone through and speaks to our connected human experiences of pain, hope, and love.” Creating theatre with COVID restrictions required the team to think outside the box and develop creative solutions. This primary goal was to safely create theatre while incorporating new experiences. The entire process was in compliance with the Norse Nine guidelines.
