(Posted April 15, 2013)

"Noir, Noir Noir," will be staged at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18 through April 20, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 21, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata campus.
"Noir, Noir Noir," will be staged at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18 through April 20, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 21, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata campus.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- "Noir, Noir, Noir," the latest production from the Juniata College Theatre Department, is loosely adapted from "Kiss Me Deadly," a Mickey Spillane novel and later a classic film noir movie. Inspired by the film's portrait of a world living in fear of mob control and nuclear destruction, this production will focus on Americans' current societal fear of classified information leaks, drone targeting and other phobias.

Directed and created by Stephanie Skura, a member of Juniata's Gravity Partners, the college's professional theatre faculty, "Noir, Noir Noir," will be staged at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18 through April 20, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 21, in the Suzanne von Liebig Theatre on the Juniata Campus.
Admission for this performance is free and open to the public, but audience seating is limited. Tickets can be reserved online. Tickets that are reserved online will be held at the door.

Skura, who has collaborated on many Juniata Theatre department productions, directed, wrote and choreographed "Noir, Noir, Noir. " She will bring a modernized style of film noir to Juniata's black box theatre. The production will transcend time periods by utilizing 1940s gangster slang and period costumes and hairstyles, while also presenting a range of technological and societal development, from rotary phones to cell phones and 21st century political concerns.

Skura explains that the play will provide an arena for the audience to question their inner political fears. The piece will focus on questioning what is real by presenting alternative perceptions of reality through character movement, soundtrack progression, dreamlike projections, and narration.

Through phone conversations between characters in this performance, the audience will be asked to reflect on American societal norms such as if the overall desire to conquer the enemy justifies all violent tactics of war.

I wanted it to be a dance from beginning to end, so there is a lot of movement and a lot of people working with the ideas in the film."

Stephanie Skura, Gravity Partners, director of "Noir Noir Noir"


"Because I am a chorographer as well as a writer, I wanted it to be a dance from beginning to end, so there is a lot of movement and a lot of people working with the ideas in the film," she explains.

This presentation is a part of Juniata's Performance Lab course and will be the Theatre Department's addition to Juniata College's Liberal Art Symposium on April 18.

Skura has been working at Juniata for years writing or directing such productions as "The Corduroy Prayer," and "Two Huts." She choreographed "Pippin," "The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee," "Standing Stone," and "Crispin the Cross of Lead." She was the associate director of "Nine Gates," "Enrico IV," and "Return."

After this performance, Skura intends to continue developing "Noir, Noir, Noir," and take it on the road, similar to how she continued the performance of "Two Huts" by professionally performing it in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Seattle, Wash.

The members of the cast for "Noir, Noir, Noir" are as follows:

Elizabeth Casey, a senior from Landisville, Pa.; Jessica Denison, a junior from Cherry Valley, N.Y.; Sara Deppenbrook, a senior from Beaver Falls, Pa.; Lauren Dobbs, a sophomore from Hillsborough, N.C.; Ryan Edley, a senior from Hershey, Pa.; Emily Evey, a junior from Hollidaysburg, Pa.; Alexandre Hanbury, a freshman from Newington, Conn.; Lauren Hitzhusen, a junior from Houston, Texas; Alison Kiernan McCauley, a sophomore from Montgomery, Pa.; Bryanna Kifolo, a freshman from State College, Pa.; Andrew Kilpatrick, a junior from Johnstown, Pa.; Kaetlyn Kuchta, a senior from Shickshinny, Pa.; Julia Mathis, a sophomore from Collegeville, Pa.; Jamison Monella, a freshman from Morrisdale, Pa.; Alyssa Newberg, a freshman from Derwood Md.; Lara Schaffer, a junior from Goshen, N.Y.; Gary Shoemaker, a junior from Summerdale, Pa.; Megan Smith, a sophomore from Scranton, Pa.; Holly Souchack, a freshman from Scarsdale, N.Y.; and Emily White, a sophomore from York, Pa.

The members of the crew for "Noir, Noir, Noir" are as follows:

Theresa Ginley, a senior from Gaithersburg, Md.; Katya Pribysh, a freshman from West Chester, Pa.; Nathaniel Wright, a sophomore from Lancaster, Pa.; Dakota Bearden, a sophomore from Johnstown, Pa.; Ken Kysor, a junior from Port Allegany, Pa.; Heidi Kleber, a sophomore from Morrisdale, Pa.; Zalina Smith, a senior from Baltimore, Md.; Dan Azeles, a junior from Duncansville, Pa.; Rami Schoenthaler, a senior from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oliver Herrine, a sophomore from Bala Cynwyd, Pa.; Zac Palchak, a senior from Bellefonte, Pa.; Ian Keating, a sophomore from Huntingdon, Pa.; Arnold Schwemmlein, a junior from Huntingdon, Pa.; Gus Redmond, a junior from Bethesda, Md.; Alex Heicher, a sophomore from Hummelstown, Pa.; Adam Cline, a sophomore from Reston, Va.; Alex Heicher, a sophomore from Hummelstown, Pa.; Sara Deppenbrook , a senior from Beaver Falls, Pa.; Alexandra Zerjav, a sophomore from Pittsburgh, Pa.; Dana Spann, a freshman from Philadelphia, Pa.; Alyssa Newberg, a freshman from Derwood, Md.; Jessica Denison, a junior from Cherry Valley, N.Y.; Jessie Sullivan, Technical Director; Grant Miner, Assistant Technical Director; and Dominic Chacon, Lighting Designer.

Written by Erin Kreischer

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.