What: Melissa's Choice: An American Dilemma, a play presented by the University of North Texas' Department of Dance and Theatre, in which Melissa, an attorney, deals with an unintended pregnancy. The play is written by New York-based playwright Steven Somkin, who will attend the first performance, and directed by Andy Harris, professor of theatre history, play analysis and playwriting.
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15; and at 2 p.m. Oct. 9 and 16.
Where: Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building (RTFP), Studio Theater.
Cost: $7.50 for students, UNT faculty/staff and seniors and $10 for adults. Audience members can purchase tickets at the box office, which is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and one hour before each performance at the Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building. "Melissa's Choice" has limited seating so patrons are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance. For more information, call 940-565-2428 or at the box office window during regular hours. Visit the Department of Dance and Theatre online.
Parking: Due to recent changes in parking regulations, patrons are encouraged to park in the parking garage in the Union Circle. Please see the Transportation website for more information.
What else: A series of panels titled "Whose Choice Is It?" will follow the first three nights' performances. Panelists include:
- Oct. 6 (Thursday) – former state Senator Wendy Davis; Amy Murrell, associate professor of psychology; Keri Caruthers, UNT alumna and local activist; Michele Baker, North Texas Catholic
- Oct. 7 (Friday) – Terri Burke, executive director of ACLU of Texas; Rafael Major, senior lecturer of UNT Honors College; Abir Arabi, UNT economics major; Jennifer Lanter, vice president of communications, Gladney Center for Adoption
- Oct. 8 (Saturday) – The Rev. Daniel Kanter, senior minister First Unitarian Church of Dallas and advisor to Planned Parenthood; Deborah Needleman Armintor, associate professor of English, sexuality studies and Jewish studies; Amanda Kallas, President, Eagles For Life.
The discussions are sponsored by the ACLU of Texas and UNT's women's and gender studies and Jewish and Israel studies programs; the psychology and media arts departments; division of institutional equity and diversity; and College of Arts and Sciences.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- A woman's decision about an unintended pregnancy is the focus of the play Melissa's Choice: An American Dilemma, presented by the University of North Texas' Department of Dance and Theatre.
The play will run 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15; and at 2 p.m. Oct. 9 and 16at the Radio, Television, Film and Performing Arts Building (RTFP), Studio Theater.
The play was written by New York-based playwright Steven Somkin, who will attend the first performance, and directed by Andy Harris, UNT professor of theatre history, play analysis and playwriting. They met in the 1970s when Harris directed one of Somkin's first plays in New York City.
Harris and Somkin remained friends, and when Harris read the script for Melissa's Choice, he thought the play had good parts for young actors.
Melissa (played by sophomore theatre major Hero Major) is camping in the Oregon woods with her boyfriend Tad (senior theatre major Nick Gilley) when she tells him she is pregnant with his child. But Tad, a doctoral student, doesn't want children.
When he is called away from the trip, Melissa must think about her decision. She learns her ex-boyfriend Duffle (junior theatre major Justin Kenyon) is willing to raise the child. She considers naming the child for her brother who passed away. And she receives advice from a cowboy named Clyde (senior theatre major Robert Fry) and a forest ranger Melba (BreAunnè Smith), who is a single mom to Billy (junior theatre major Irwin Daye).
Harris said the biggest issue in such a play is to find a balance between the platform for ideas and human emotion.
"This is about the humanity of character," Harris said. "Everyone is fallible. For people to care about the issue, they have to care about Melissa."
Major relishes playing the role.
"Though I have never been pregnant, I can relate to everything Melissa is going through by the power of her voice and what she is saying alone," Major said. "All of the lines are straightforward and raw, just like Melissa.
"This is a side of a woman that we normally don't get to see," Major said. "We rarely get to look into the inner workings on the decision to have an abortion or not. We are just there for the end result. I want this play to make people question what they have always thought is right."
Harris added that Melissa has many different options, but the play doesn't advocate for any one position.
"It's a good thing to discuss and I wanted to get as many perspectives as possible," he said.
Audience members can hear from a wide variety of perspectives in a series of panels titled Whose Choice Is It? that will follow the first three nights' performances. Panelists will include former Texas state Senator Wendy Davis; Jennifer Lanter, vice president of communications, Gladney Adoption Service; and The Rev. Daniel Kanter, senior minister First Unitarian Church of Dallas and advisor to Planned Parenthood.