Canadian play in Chicago

[Dan Zellner]

Bettina's Glassmann's play "Children of  Neon Lights" will be presented on
February 9th, 10th and 11th at North Park College in Chicago.
 
Her play will appear in North Park College's Winter One-acts which  is
serving as a test site for the Playwright in Electronic Residence (PIER)
programme. The programme was created by Studio Z, a nonprofit organization
based in Chicago. Studio Z is dedicated to bringing theatre into the 21st
Century through the use of communications technology. The PIER programme
involves linking international playwrights with unversities and theatres via
the Internet.
 
Ms. Grassmann is finishing a degree in Drama at the University of
Saskatchewan.  She has been involved extensively in productions at the Drama
Department for the last four years.  Her roles have included "Ela" in
"Charley's Aunt" and "The Midwife" in "The Duchess of Malfi"  She  was also
the assistant Dramaturge for
"Faust".  She is a member of the Saskatchewan Playwright's Centre and has
had two of her plays, "The Quantum Cat" and "Stitches", workshopped there.
Her play "Four Letter Word" was performed at the University of Saskatchewan
and for AIDS Awareness week in 1991.  "Stitches" will be produced at the
Drama Department this month.  Ms. Grassmann is one of three playwrights in
"electronic residence" on the North Park College campus.
 
For more information about Studio Z and the PIER programme,  visit our
hompage at:
http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/~dzellner
 
Dan Zellner
Artistic Producer
Studio Z
 
 
"Children of  Neon Lights"
*Synopsis*
 "Children of Neon Lights", is a drama set in the psyche ward of a hospital
the night "Operation Desert Storm" was lauched in Kuwait.  Jeremy, who is
depressive and suicidal, has managed to sneak a knife onto the ward and
tries to slit his wrists.  However, he is constantly interupted by Nicole,
who is wildly manic and believes she is Venus and that she has started the
war, which she believes is another repeat of the Trojan War.  As Jeremy,
irritated, tries to ignore her, or drown her out with the T.V., she rants
about her mythological crises, to avoid the very real, painful problems in
her life. She also probes Jeremy about his reasons for wanting to die.
Finally, Jeremy confesses that he has no real reason for wanting to kill
himself. He simply lost interest in life, when he realized his life is as
mechanical "as a neon light".  Nicole angrily condemns him for abandoning
life, while he tries to calm her down, so as not to attract the attention of
the nurses. However, she is taken away to the intensive ward nevertheless.
When Jeremy learns she is suffering there, with no one to talk to, he
abandons his plan to kill himself, and apathetic no longer, joins her.