Preview: The Story

April 28-29, 8pm; April 30, 2pm and 8pm; May 1, 2pm.

New College Theatre

Directed by Benny Sato Ambush

Staff Produced by Dana Knox

Student Produced by Felix J. Cook ‘13

In the cutthroat worlds of our professional lives, how does the relationship between fact and fabrication evolve, and how far will we go to get ahead? Tracy Scott Wilson’s “The Story” seeks to examine this interplay of fact and fiction in the competitive world of journalism. The central question of the play’s plot, according to director Benny Sato Ambush, is “What is the truth and where is the truth?”

“The Story” is a whodunit tale that revolves around young journalist Yvonne, who gets caught up in a murder story and attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery. Dealing with themes of journalistic integrity, sensationalism, and race and class relations, its narrative draws its essence from Wilson’s two main inspirations: the famous account of Janet Leslie Cooke’s scandal of journalistic fabrication and the racially charged story of the Charles Stuart murder.

This production will be the first in three years that features a guest professional director at the New College Theatre. Director of Memorial Hall/Lowell Hall Complex Eric C. Engel says, “One of the things I am particularly excited about for this production is the mix of student designers and professional designers.” Working on set of “The Story” will be a professional director, costume designer, and sound designer.

Following the 2 p.m. show on April 30, there will also be a panel discussion with members of the Nieman Foundation of Journalism at Harvard University to discuss elements of the play.

According to Staff Producer Dana Knox, “[“The Story”] is a brisk play, 75 minutes without intermission … It’s an energized, heart-racing run for all these journalists to break the story first. How are they going to break it? How are they going to spin it?”

Ambush added that “The Story” is a play that should resonate with many audiences and “that drive in career ambition is something I think all young people can relate to in making their mark in their desired profession.”­