UTRGV’s theater season commences with its production of “Tomás and the Library Lady” at 7 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Albert L. Jeffers Theatre on the Edinburg campus.
After a long halt on performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UTRGV’s theater productions recommence with the production written by Pat Mora and adapted into a play by José Cruz González. There will also be additional showings of the play, including one with ASL interpretation and one that will be sensory friendly.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic rising in cases across the nation, protocols have been put in place in order to “keep the community safe,” according to Alexandra Gonzalez, the theatre business manager. “We have distanced seating in our Jeffers theatre this semester, so seating for shows will be a bit more limited. The theatre is also cleaned and sanitized before and after each show. Masks are strongly encouraged at our performances and we will have masks for patrons, should they request them.”
The theater has experienced difficulty getting the word out about its events with the limitations of the pandemic.
“It’s been a little bit of a challenge to figure out what are the best ways to make sure news about our auditions and events is being seen by students, especially if a lot of students [and the] UTRGV community are not on campus on a regular basis due to online courses and whatnot,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve definitely had to work harder to make sure we are really utilizing all of our social media outlets this time around.”
This fall, tickets for every show will be free and are open seating, meaning there will be no reservations for the shows.
“We recommend that people arrive early so that they can be assured they get seats for the performances,” Gonzalez said.
The second production by the Theatre Department will be “The Weird,” by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Peter Mikolasky, interim chair of the UTRGV Department of Theatre, which will showcase a collection of short horror and pulp plays.
Aguirre-Sacasa is a TV writer who worked on shows, such as “Riverdale,” “Glee” and the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” This show will not allow children to attend due to the adult content included in the performance, such as profanity and violence.
For questions about upcoming 2021-2022 performances, email the theatre box office at theatreboxoffice@utrgv.edu or visit the Theatre Department website.
