SK
Simon Kiser
  • Theatre and Performance
  • Class of 2017
  • Washington, DC

Easton's Simon Kiser participates in Emerson College's production of Mother Hicks

2015 Feb 26

Simon Kiser, of Easton, majoring in BA Acting, is part of the College's production of Mother Hicks as "Wilson". It's the first play in Suzan Zeder's Ware Trilogy, which follows the story of a young deaf man named Tuc as he searches for community, understanding, and a place to call home.

Emerson College, Wheelock Family Theatre, and Central Square Theater have partnered to bring the Ware Trilogy to school groups and public audiences in its entirety. It's the first time that the three plays have been produced at the same time and available to see in sequence. Set in the small town of Ware, Illinois, each of the stories will be "shadow interpreted" throughout: an English-speaking actor performs his or her lines and is "shadowed" by a separate actor, who is interpreting the lines into American Sign Language (ASL). All performances will be open-captioned as well.

With the exception of local deaf actor Elbert Joseph, who plays the character of Tuc in all three productions, the cast of Mother Hicks is made up of Emerson College students majoring in Performing Arts who have a curricular and social interest in Deaf culture. Some of the students are minoring in Hearing and Deafness through the College's Communication Sciences and Disorders Department.

Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, Mother Hicks shows Saturday, February 28, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 1, at 2:00 pm (school group showings February 26 and 27) at Emerson's Paramount MainStage, 559 Washington Street, Boston. Tickets: $20, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for the Emerson community and children under 16. To purchase tickets online, visit paramountboston.org, stop by in person at any Emerson College box office, or call 617-824-8000.

About Emerson Stage

Emerson Stage is the producing organization of the Department of Performing Arts at Emerson College. Onstage and backstage, students learn the tools and gain hands-on experience to become the next generation of theater artists. Student actors, designers, stage managers, technicians, and educators work side by side with faculty, professional staff, and visiting artists to perfect their skills and deepen their understanding for their craft and the role that theater plays in enriching our culture and community. The Emerson Stage 2014-2015 season includes eight public productions. For more information, visit the website.

About Emerson College

Located in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city's Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission informed by liberal learning. The College has 3,750 undergraduates and 750 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 80 student organizations and performance groups. Emerson is known for its study and internship programs in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic. A new, permanent facility on Sunset Boulevard for its LA-based program opened in January 2014. The College has an active network of 32,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in communication and the arts. For more information about Emerson College, visit emerson.edu.