The University of Central Arkansas Theatre will present “Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Gene Roddenberry Story” as a documentary devised work March 13-15.
Directed by senior Levi Smith, the play is scheduled for the University of Central Arkansas’s Black Box Theatre in Snow Fine Arts Center 210 at 7:30 each night.
A devised work is a collaborative piece where a team works together to create it.
The piece explores the life of Star Trek creator Roddenberry and the struggles he faced to make his visions come to fruition.
“I think the thing that really drew us to this topic was exploring the idea of fighting for an artistic vision against the hard reality of seeing it through,” Smith said. “It took us a little over a month to write the script, and what was really interesting about that was it wasn’t that different to how Gene wrote Star Trek.
“Using six voices to create this story has been a very challenging and rewarding process.”
Smith’s project is specifically documentary devised theatre, which delves into factual events and people.
“I find that humanity has a ton of questions about life, and one of the best places to find those answers is in the past,” Smith said. “This is what drew me to doing a documentary devised piece because I love searching for these answers through story.”
UCA Theatre Business Manager Melissa Pearson said the devised work was in keeping with the mission of the program.
“Part of our role in the theatre program is to make sure our students are able to explore all realms of theatre before they graduate,” she said. “They get the experience of directing while working with a faculty mentor, so it becomes an educational process.”
All performances are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. Admission will not be allowed once the play starts.
For more information, Pearson at (501) 450-5092 or by email at melissap@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, and Film, Theatre and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The College’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call 501-450-3293.
By Waid Rainey
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
