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Alumna to Present Play as Darfur Benefit
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Celebrated playwright and Smith alumna Winter Miller ’95 will return to campus in November to present a special staged reading of her drama “In Darfur,” which is based on her own experiences in that violence-ravaged region of Sudan.
The play, which has earned critical acclaim for its sensitive portrayal of the ongoing regime of genocide in the African nation, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Theatre 14, Mendenhall Center. Last year, “In Darfur” was presented in the Public Theater at Central Park in front of a sold-out audience.
The story follows a Darfuri woman in her early 20s named Hawa, who was an English teacher until the Janjaweed – a notoriously brutal military force of Arab nomads armed by the Sudanese government – attacked her village. Other characters include Maryka, a New York Times journalist in search of a front-page story, and Carlos, a doctor who abruptly left his fiancé to become an aid worker.
“The three struggle to survive while uncovering the horrors of genocide in Darfur to the audience,” said Miller.
Miller based her play on her work in Darfur as a research assistant to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof, whose New
York Times columns bring international attention to the crisis in Darfur.
After earning her bachelor’s degree at Smith, Miller secured a master’s of fine art from Columbia University. She has written numerous plays, including “The Penetration Play,” published by Playscripts Inc.; “Conspicuous”; “Something’s Wrong with Amandine”; and “Cake and Ice Cream.”
Smith President Carol T. Christ will introduce “In Darfur,” which will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Miller.
The single performance will be directed by theatre professor Ellen W. Kaplan and staged in cooperation with CBI Darfur Action Group. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Sudan Aid Fund and Doctors Without Borders to support ongoing relief efforts for victims in Darfur.
The suggested ticket price is $10 for general audience and $5 for students and seniors. Theater-goers interested in reserving a seat in the first few rows can also do so, in advance, for $25. To purchase tickets call the box office at (413) 585-ARTS.
Other event sponsors include the Office of the Jewish Chaplin, the Smith Community Service Organization, Smith College Hillel, Smith College Lecture Fund and the Program for the Study of Women and Gender.
For information about disability access or to request accommodations, call (413) 585-2407. To request a sign language interpreter specifically, call (413) 585-2071 (voice or TTY) or e-mail ODS@smith.edu. All requests must be made at least 10 days prior to the event.
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