Theatrix, the student-run theatre company in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, presents “Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons” by Sam Steiner and directed by senior Hannah Mason.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 7-9 and 2 p.m. April 10 in the Lab Theatre, located on the third floor of the Temple Building at 12th and R St. Tickets are $7 general admission, $5 students and are available in advance on the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film website or cash only at the door.
The average person will speak 123,205,750 words in a lifetime. But what if there was a limit? “Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons” imagines a world where we are forced to say less. It’s about what people say and how people say it; about the things a person can only hear in the silence; about dead cats, activism, eye contact and lemons, lemons, lemons, lemons, lemons.
“When I first encountered ‘Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons,’ I was immediately drawn to the idea of finding and developing connections despite being faced with suppression and various obstacles,” Mason said. “In this play, words are the one thing that the protagonists do not have, as everyone is now limited to only 140 words per day, which immediately places a value on the time and forms of communication that they do have access to.”
Mason stated that it wasn’t until seeing this right taken away that she realized how complex the concept of “love” is.
“These characters now have to express their platonic, familial and romantic love through music, actions and even erratic eye movement, but nevertheless, we see that all love can persevere,” Mason said. “Not only that, but I’ve come to understand that we use our words to make art, and art heals wounds. We use words to explain our losses, our failures and our inadequacies, but we also use them to share our passions, our dreams and our joy. I want audiences to understand that all words matter and all voices deserve to be heard as they come on this journey with Bernadette and Oliver as they navigate heartbreak, perseverance, and, of course, lemons, lemons, lemons, lemons, lemons.”
Currently, the university no longer requires face masks inside our campus buildings. Details, exclusions and updates can be found on the university website.
