Eastern to Perform "The Distance from Here"

Written by Kate Harner

            Willimantic, CT - Eastern Connecticut State University's Visual Arts Department will present Neil LaBute's play, "The Distance from Here," at 7:30 p.m. April 6 - 10 at the Harry Hope Theatre, located in Shafer Hall on the corner of High and Valley Streets in Willimantic. A final presentation will take place at 4 p.m. on April 11. The public is invited. Tickets are $5 for Eastern students and groups of 10 or more; $10 for Eastern faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens; and $12 for the general public.

The performance is directed by J.J. Cobb, Eastern's assistant professor of theatre and acting. The contemporary play centers around Darrell and Tim, two youths trapped in a society that refuses to give them a chance at the American dream. Darrell's dysfunctional family does not help his angst. His young mother, Cammie, neglects Darrell and lives with her Gulf War veteran boyfriend, Rich. The audience learns that Rich has sexual relations with both Cammie and her stepdaughter Shari, a young mother of a baby who constantly cries for attention that he is never given.

"'The Distance From Here' is an exciting and contemporary piece," says Amy Dias '12, the show's stage manager. "It will definitely open audience members' eyes to a world full of an absence of love."

For reservations, call the Box Office at (860) 465-5123.