Dan LeFranc’s Origin Story
The Department of Theatre and Dance at Gustavus Adolphus College is pleased to present Dan LeFranc’s Origin Story in Anderson Theatre this May. Directed by Professor Cory Hinkle, this “comic book for the stage” will be presented May 3, 4, and 5 at 8:00 p.m. and May 6 at 2:00 p.m.
This convention-bending production of Origin Story is a flashy and contemporary hybrid of a comic book and the theatre. The play is performed as a live-action graphic novel centered on the character “Pronoun” who writes a comic book called Origin Story that has special powers. Origin Story will be performed for the first time at Gustavus with playwright Dan LeFranc (Winner, New York Times Emerging Playwright Award) scheduled to attend the opening night in Anderson Theatre.
Despite the play’s catchy comic book façade, Origin Story is a tragedy about the difficulty of being an intersexed person in our society. Origin Story is a contemporary adaptation of the hermaphrodite myth and highlights the limitations the pronouns “he” and “she” can create. Pronoun represents a person who does not fully fit into either the “male” or “female” category. This struggle provokes Pronoun to write their own story, the Origin Story. Pronoun takes the audience on a journey into how an intersexed person relates to the rest of the world. Hinkle’s interpretation of this new play embraces the comic book style to its fullest while also addressing the social justice issue that is at the heart of LeFranc’s play.
The scenic design, created by Micah Maatman, is an abstract suburban landscape with platforms for the actors that extend into the audience, breaking the fourth wall that is usually present between performer and audience member. Costume design, created by Larissa McConnell with assistant Jessica VanKempen ’14, follows the comic book theme with heightened style and vibrant colors. Sound design for Origin Story was created by Twin Cities-based composer Michael Croswell and lighting design was created by faculty member Terena M. Wilkens.
The Acting Company includes Bethany Davidson, Jason Dennis, Annie Galloway, Autumn Ike, Karla Leitzman, Jerica Massey, Brady Mueller and Rob Ward.
Tickets are available online at gustavustickets.com three weeks prior to opening night. Gustavus staff and students receive one ticket each at no charge with a Gustavus ID. Tickets not sold in advance, will be available at the door one hour prior to show time.