Danny Bryck’s one-man play about Occupy Boston, “No Room for Wishing,” received exceptional response from audiences and critics alike in its world-premiere in Boston. Worcester State University’s Theme Semester and the Visual and Performing Arts Department teamed up to present Bryck’s insightful play for the first time in Worcester on September 12.
Bryck, one of Boston’s most dynamic young theater makers, portrays over 30 characters in this 90-minute up-close-and-personal encounter with our nation and ourselves. “No Room For Wishing” is about how big picture politics affect our everyday lives, and what happens when people come together to try to force change. Compiled entirely from the exact words of people involved in and affected by the Occupy movement in Boston in the fall of 2011, “No Room For Wishing” is a complex and inspiring look at how human beings succeed and fail in building relationships, social structures, and governance.
The performance of “No Room for Wishing” kicked off the 2013 Theme Semester, “Doing Right in a Complex World.” Bryck performed the play with a post-show discussion and conducted a workshop for acting students.
“‘Doing Right in a Complex World’ is an ideal topic for our students and campus to discuss, and we are excited to start that discussion with ‘No Room for Wishing.’ Our students must be prepared to address the complicated issues facing our world and nation in their adult lives going forward,” said President Barry Maloney. “A theatrical performance about Occupy Boston brings real world events, events that occurred during their young adult lives, into sharper focus. I commend our faculty for organizing this special opportunity and invite the Worcester community to join us.”
The play had a dynamic collaborative world premiere in the Boston area last fall, co-produced by Company One, Central Square Theater and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and has since performed at the off-Broadway Theater at St. Clements, among other venues. It was nominated for Best New Play and Best Solo by the Independent Reviewers of New England. Written and performed by Danny Bryck and directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, with sound design by Benjamin Scheff and featuring original music by Miles Disney and Ruby Rose Fox.
Worcester State’s Theme Semester choses expansive themes that allow professors, departments, disciplines, and offices to connect in a campus-wide conversation. Dominant news stories on the Occupy Movement, the leaks by Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning, and changing definitions of civil liberties all raise ethical questions of what it means to “do right.” Theme Semester Director, Sam O’Connell and the Theme Semester Committee see “No Room for Wishing” as an ideal way to start a community-wide discussion on the complex question of ethical behavior in modern society.
The Visual and Performing Arts Department has a commitment to providing Worcester State students with exposure to professional artists in all disciplines. The Theme Semester event provides an opportunity for students to see and work with a young, Boston-area artist who has conceived and created an original piece of theater.
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