USC English Major Emalee Goode plays Celie, whose disappearance becomes the source of a lifetime of tragedy for her circle of friends. Photo by Kevin Bush
The USC Theatre Program will present Naomi Iizuka’s haunting drama Language of Angels February 15-18 at the Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat Street. Show times are at 8 p.m. February 15-17 and 3 p.m. February 18. Tickets are $10 and are available online at sc.universitytickets.com or at the door. Language of Angels contains strong adult themes and language and is not appropriate for children.
Set in the hills of Appalachia, Language of Angels is a modern-day folk tale that takes us into the liminal space between life and death, past and present. Acclaimed playwright Naomi Iizuka ( Polaroid Stories) poetically weaves together the individual remembrances of a group of friends whose lives and tragic fates have become inextricably linked to the mysterious disappearance of their friend, Celie, years prior.
Guest artist Abigail Lee McNeely, a 2017 alum of the USC theatre program, is directing the production. Since graduating, McNeely’s career has flourished at Columbia’s Trustus Theatre, where she has directed several productions, performed, and been a member of sketch comedy/ improv troupe The Mothers.
Making theatre magic in the intimate performance space is certainly on the bill for Language of Angels, which introduces ghostly elements of the supernatural to tell its suspenseful tale of crime and punishment. Playwright Iizuka has said she was loosely inspired by elements of Japanese Noh theatre, whose stories commonly involve ghosts and spirits, in creating the play.
The show’s all undergraduate cast includes Joshua Cook, Jake Downs, Emalee Goode, Sunni Greene, Koby Hall, Ash Leland, Parker Walsh, and Olivia Wamai.
For more information on Language of Angels, contact Kevin Bush by phone at 803-777-9353 or via email at bushk@mailbox.sc.edu.
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