“Breadcrumbs,” April 9 through 12

Thursday, April 9, through Sunday, April 12

Augustana College's Honkamp Myhre Black Box Theatre, 3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL

Hailed by Broadway World as "an endearing and humanly sound story that we didn't realize we needed more than ever," playwright Jennifer Haley's Breadcrumbs enjoys an April 9 through 12 run at Augustana College's Honkamp Myhre Black Box Theatre. This moving drama inspired Classical Voices of North Carolina to rave, ""There are few pleasures in a theatre-lover’s life more entrancing than the discovery of a new play that, or a new playwright who, engages mind and heart with equal aplomb."

Breadcrumbs funds a reclusive fiction writer diagnosed with dementia, and forced to depend upon a troubled young caretaker to complete her autobiography. In a symbiotic battle of wills, the two delve into the dark woods of the past, unearthing a tragedy that shatters their notions of language, loneliness and essential self. As an author, Jennifer Haley's work delves into ethics in virtual reality and the impact of technology on our human relationships, identity, and desire. In addition to the raves she has amassed for Breadcrumbs, Haley won the 2012 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, a Los Angeles Ovation Award, and the Francesca Primus Prize for her play The Nether, which premiered at Center Theatre Group and was subsequently produced at The Royal Court Theatre with Headlong in London.

Directing Augustana's student-produced production of Breadcrumbs is college junior Lydia Benesh, whose recent credits include roles in The Mousetrap, Our Country's Good, and The Philanderer, and who assistant last spring's presentation of The Prom. Benesh says that "In terms of selecting this play, I do have someone in my life currently experiencing dementia: my grandmother Rosalynne. The show has definitely made me feel more connected to her, and I think it has hopefully given me some perspective on her experience that I hadn't considered before. That being said, I wasn't originally looking for a play about dementia. I was actually focused on finding a play with complex roles for women and discovered Breadcrumbs, which certainly fits the bill. I absolutely loved the script and my personal connection to the subject matter only made me more excited to propose it to the faculty.

"Another reason I was interested in the play," Benesh continues, "was because, when I first read the script, I discovered that it had its world premiere at the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), where I was set to intern last summer. It felt very kismet! When I was actually at CATF, I had the opportunity to look at the stage manager's book from the original production and actually have a conversation with the original stage manager, Lori M. Doyle, who still works at CATF. It was extremely special and I'm so grateful for that opportunity."

Composing the two-person cast of Breadcrumbs are Alice Sylvie (Small Mouth Sounds, Exit, Pursued by a Bear) and Bethany Yanchick (who made her Augustana debut in last fall's The Mousetrap). Ryan Sondgeroth serves as the play's assistant director and props designer, and additional members of Benesh's creative team include: stage manager Rylon Hall; assistant stage manager Eli Swailes; lighting designer DJ Roberts; sound designer and original-music composer Brennan Hampton; costume designer Myles Smith; hair and makeup designer V Bechtel; electrician Christian Gonzalez; board operator Dev Reed; and stagehand Catherine Karn.

"Directing Breadcrumbs has been such a lovely experience," says Benesh. "The play is certainly intimidating in some ways, especially as a student director. There are two timelines to juggle and only two actors to do so, but Alice and Bethany have taken on the task with such grace. Because of them and their hard work, rehearsals have been low stress and so fun!

"The crew have also made the process much less daunting," she adds. "When I was selected to direct Breadcrumbs, I knew I loved the play, but was nervous that other students might not love it as much as I did. I wasn't nervous for long! All of the student designers on Breadcrumbs have fully committed to the premise of the play, put in hours of work, and have even gushed about the script with me individually. I'm so thankful for them."

Breadcrumbs will be staged in Augustana College's Honkamp Myhre Black Box Theatre April 9 through 12, with performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $5-10, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)794-7306 and visiting Augustana.edu/tickets.