April 6, 2022

SVSU’s theatre production showcases feminist themes, international cast

The final production in Saginaw Valley State University’s 2021-2022 theatre season features feminist themes and a talented cast featuring a number of international students.

“Top Girls,” by Caryl Churchill, will run from Wednesday through Saturday, April 6-9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 3:00 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, this seminal play of the modern theatre poses complex questions about feminism, power, motherhood, agency and the meaning of success. The play is suitable for audiences 13+.

Tommy Wedge, SVSU assistant professor of theatre, gave some insight into why he chose this play.

“We have a wealth of female performers in our program, and I wanted a vehicle that matched their talent. I also wanted to direct a show that could utilize camera and media skills we learned last year for our live-streamed productions; ‘Top Girls’ was an ideal match for both.”

Wedge added that this play is the first that utilizes overlapping dialogue in its script, something we take for granted in contemporary theatre/film.

“Top Girls” will feature three international students attending SVSU for the winter semester through a student exchange program called the World Learning Program:

• Katerina Sorokina from Russia will play Patient Griselda
• Yolhie Monchery from Haiti will play Jeanine
• Aimei Ji from China will play Lady Nijo

“With her non-traditional plot and characters, Churchill challenged her 1982 audience about what it means to be a woman in a modern, patriarchal society, and how women lift each other up or tear each other down to succeed in it,” Wedge said. “I hope this play allows the audience to reflect on how far we’ve come and what we yet need to do.

“Audiences can expect to be challenged by this exquisitely written play and hopefully delighted by the truthful acting and the impressive designs the dedicated students in our program have labored to deliver.”

Tickets for “Top Girls” are $15 each and can be purchased either online or at the box office (two hours prior to an event). When tickets are purchased online, a link will be sent to your email to print or present as a mobile ticket.