CONROE (November 5, 2019) – The Theatre Department at Lone Star College-Montgomery has spent the past few months preparing for Student Body, by Frank Winters. The production is an intensely vivid examination of sexual assault on a college campus.
The production takes the audience through the controversial topic of sexual assault. Student Body takes place at a small college where a group of students come together to discuss a video found from a party they attended. The students heatedly discuss whether the act was consensual or not. By the end, there are allegations and regrets, friendships are put to the test, and allegiances change. Student Body examines sexual assault through the lens of the bystander. How do you react? What should you do?
"Examining sexual assault through a bystander's point of view is important," says Student Body Scenic Designer, Ashley Fairchild. "Even if you are just a bystander, you still have the knowledge of what happened. What you do with that information can impact other people in many different ways."
Sexual assault is becoming a topic of frequent discussion due to tv shows and movies, media coverage, and the #MeToo movement. Criminal Justice Department Associate Professor, Sarah Chapman, along with representatives from Lone Star College Counseling Services and the Montgomery County Women's Center will host a discussion with the cast and crew after the play to offer a safe space to discuss sexual assault. The audience is welcome to stay and participate.
"Hosting a discussion after the performance is important since sexual assault is a topic that is tough to talk about," explained Fairchild. "The way the characters in Student Body handle sexual assault raises the question to the audience of 'What would you do in this situation?'".
Student Body is a significant piece of work with contemporary relevance. It asks difficult questions for which there are no clear-cut answers. It questions our moral stance, tests the boundaries of group-think, and delves into an all-too-real occurrence in our society.
Student Body will be showing in the LSC-Montgomery Mainstage Theatre from November 14-17. There is a special discounted preview performance on Wednesday, November 13, at 5:30 p.m., as well as a matinee showing on Saturday, November 16 at 3 p.m., and evening performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are available for purchase at LoneStar.edu/Theatre-Montgomery. The production will be rated R, due to mature subject matter and themes.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, ten centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
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Photos: Student Body Promotional Image &
Student Body Stage Creation