RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 11, 2006) — Alpha Male, a play written and directed by Thomas Riccio, a faculty member at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), will open in the University Theatre on campus on Thursday, Sept. 21. The performance, which features closed circuit televisions to emulate a “truly immersive experience,” will begin promptly at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 30.
Riccio describes Alpha Male as “a dystopia in which refugees from crime, corruption and chaos enter an enclosed and protected institution. These refugees are revealed to be carefully selected ‘Clients,’ a sampling of what remains of the outside social order. They find themselves a part of the ‘Agenda,’ an immersive environment where everything is under an omniscient surveillance — their biology, behavior, sexuality, thoughts, beliefs and emotions — part of a data gathering and processing system. The Clients are simultaneously experiments, sport, consumer tests and entertainment. Their every need and desire is observed, anticipated and manipulated.”
The performance contains mature themes and adult language and is not suitable for children.
Riccio is a professor of performance studies and is the artistic director of Story Lab, UTD’s initiative to research and develop new performance expressions. He has directed experimental works nationally and internationally and has worked extensively in the area of ritual and indigenous performance in Alaska, Africa, Asia and Siberia. Earlier this year, Riccio’s play Inuit won a playwriting award from the Alexander Onassis Foundation in international competition.
More information about the production is at http://ah.utdallas.edu/season0607/alphamale.htm. More information about Riccio is available at http://www.thomas-riccio.net/.
Tickets for the show are $15 for general admission and free at the door to UTD students with valid identification. Discount tickets are available to students from other campuses and high schools. UTD ticket office hours are from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at the door one hour prior to show time. To purchase tickets in advance using Visa, MasterCard or Discover, please call 972-883-2552.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ Web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s Web site at www.utdallas.edu.