California State University, Dominguez Hills’ (CSUDH) production of “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play),” playwright Sarah Ruhl’s comedic play set in the 1880s about sex, intimacy, equality, and the use of a new instrument to treat female “hysteria,” will run on campus April 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 8 p.m., and April 15 at 2 p.m.
Produced by CSUDH’s Department of Theatre and Dance, and directed by Shonni Holmes, alumnus and theatre arts faculty member, “In the Next Room” is the department’s final theatrical production of the 2017-18 season.
“Sarah Ruhl is masterful at two things:finding the humor in serious topics, and exploring the depths of the female experience, and’In the Next Room’ is no exception,” said Holmes. “This play, although set in the Victorian Era, tackles timeless themes from the female perspective including love and marriage, sexuality, and self-discovery,and it does so with a highly comedic spin. I think audiences will find that–provocative title aside–this play makes us all evaluate what it means to really be seen.”
Filled with playful symbolism and lyrical language, “In the Next Room” is a fictional and humorous take on historical events. The play is set in the late 19th century, a time when the advent of the light bulb encouraged the development of many new electric devices including one doctors began to use to treat women for “hysteria” by bringing them to orgasm.
The play takes place in the seemingly practical home of Dr. Givings, where he runs his private medical practice and provides the service by inducing “paroxysm” in women who were brought there by their husbands. Dr. Givings is forced to confront the realities of his own marriage after conversations with his sexually frustrated wife Catherine, who convinces him to try to something new.
“In the Next Room” contains adult language and situations, and is intended for a mature audience.
Performances will be held in the University Theatre April 6, 7, 13, and 14 at 8 p.m., and April 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and senior citizens. Group rates are available.
For more information and to purchase tickets online visit www.csudh.edu/theatre/tickets or for other payment options, call the box office at (310) 243-3589.
Parking is located near the CSU Dominguez Hills University Theatre Complex in Lots 3 or 6. Daily visitor parking permits are $8 and can be purchased, using cash, Visa, MasterCard, or debit cards, at kiosk machines located in each lot. For a campus map, visit www.csudh.edu/campus-map-directions/.
For more information about the CSU Dominguez Hills Theatre and Dance program, contact the theatre office at (310) 243-3588 or visit: www.csudh.edu/theatre-arts/.
# # #
About California State University, Dominguez Hills
California State University, Dominguez Hills, centrally located in the greater Los Angeles South Bay region, is a model urban university with a wide range of academic programming, providing accessible, high quality, and transformative education to students aspiring to succeed and thrive in a complex, global society. Since 1960, CSU Dominguez Hills has served a diverse community of learners and educators collaborating to change lives and communities for the better. A national model and laboratory for student success, the university offers a proven path to opportunity and social equity, advancing a college-focused culture in the communities it serves while providing vital resources of knowledge, talent, and leadership to the greater Los Angeles region and beyond. Today, CSU Dominguez Hills boasts over 100,000 alumni – doctors, scientists, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs – who are leaders in education, health, technology, entertainment, public service, and business, making a difference in their fields, in people’s lives, and in their communities. For more information, visit www.csudh.edu.
