By Salma Rios
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In a not-far future, the world is divided into two classes: those who can have children, and those who cannot. Those who can have children live a life of luxury and security, while those who cannot are all but doomed to a life of hard labor and oppression.
The play Nothing but Days, written by Courtney Meaker and directed by Sarah Lacy Hamilton, will open at 8 p.m. today. The show will run through Oct. 29.
The plot focuses on sexuality in the future. Men and women of the Inner Wall nation are expected to earn their citizenship through marriage and childbearing, while queer people are sent to serve on the Border Wall as an alternative way to earn citizenship. When rebellion strikes the capital, those on the Inner Wall will be forced to choose between continuing their service or joining in the rebellion in order to earn their freedom.
The production contains many adult subjects, including adult language, simulated alcohol consumption, physical violence, discussion of sexual violence, auditory depiction of sexual violence, discussion of reproductive coercion, partial nudity, and intimacy on stage.
The inspiration behind Meaker’s play was the result of a myriad issues. She said two articles in The New York Times — one about the killing of a girl in Iceland, the other about the deaths of children in Nigeria because of preventable diseases — raised questions about how we as people view tragedy in numeric forms.
Meaker also struggled to make sense of the political situation after the 2016 presidential election: “The play took form in full by applying these issues and then asking a question, ‘What does revolution look like for individuals and for the society at large?’ ”
Themes of revolution and hardship drew Hamilton to direct the play.
“In this society that seeks to dehumanize queer people, every breath they take is a revolutionary act,” she said.
To Hamilton, revolution is not just a political or social overthrow, it is the small and miraculous things people do every day in the face of oppression.
“In the world of the play, love, hope, and laughter are significant rebellions that defy cruelty and bigotry,” she said.
Clara Reynen, who plays Page, said her favorite thing about being in the play is to be able to explore the world of the play and to uncover new things about the world her character is living in.
“But I think what trumps all is that we’ll be able to use these discoveries to help our audiences experience this world in the most visceral way possible, and I think that will enable them to really sink their teeth into the show,” she said.
Nothing But Days, Gallery Series
When: 8 p.m. today through Saturday; 2 p.m. Oct. 29
Where: Theater Building Theater B
Cost: Free-$5