September 24, 2013

Night Train to Bolina and "Inside the Season" pre-show talk



The kickoff event for the Ashland University 2013-2014 Theatre season is the play Night Train to Bolina by 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz.  Night Train to Bolina is the story of two children, Mateo and Clara, who rely on each other and their imaginations to help them flee a violent world.  Written in a masterful magic realist style, that is beautiful, moving and powerful, Night Train to Bolina shows us the strength and resilience of youth in the most difficult of circumstances. Showings will be September 26th, 27th, 28th,  October 3rd, 4th, 5th  at 7:30 p.m. and September 29th at 2:00 p.m. in the Studio Theatre.  
The Department of Theatre and the College of Arts and Sciences is sponsoring an “Inside the Season” pre-show talk as part of the Symposium Against Indifference: Engaging Latin America and the Caribbean. Led by Fabio Polanco, associate professor of theatre and director of the drama “Night Train to Bolina,” the event is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, on the Hugo Young Theatre stage prior to that evening’s performance. The public is invited to the pre-show talk even if they don't have tickets for that evening’s performance. John and Karen Godt, founders of the Hope for Honduran Children Foundation, will add real-life experiences to the presentation as they discuss their organization’s work.

The pre-show talks are offered to give audience members the inside story as they learn more about the production and its creators, while also hosting guest presenters in connection with the show’s theme. Since “Night Train to Bolina” and this year’s Symposium both focus on Latin America, this first presentation of “Inside the Season” will examine the effect of civil unrest and violence on children in these areas from the playwright’s efforts in developing the script to the work of John and Karen Godt’s foundation.


Karen Godt at the Flor Azul Boys Community in Honduras.


The Hope for Honduran Children Foundation, based in Cleveland, Ohio, was established to help provide a nurturing environment for children ravaged by conditions of extreme poverty in Central America. In addition to supporting them with food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education, their ultimate goal is to instill the desire and provide the necessary tools for these children to become self-sufficient, caring, and responsible adults. Literature about the organization will be available at all performances and donations will be accepted on their behalf. For more information, the organization's Web site is at www.hopeforhonduranchildren.org.

For more information about Ashland University Theatre visit www.ashland.edu/theatre or call the Box Office at 419.289.5125.