Morality Takes Center Stage in 'The Good Person of Sichuan'

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Poster for The Good Person of Sichuan playHow can people remain good in a corrupt and desperate world?

That's the question posed by The Good Person of Sichuan, the upcoming Whittier College student play at The Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts, running from Oct. 20-23. Written by renowned playwright Bertolt Brecht, the play has been directed and choreographed by Professor of Theatre & Communication Arts Jennifer S. Holmes, with original music by Shane Cadman.

The Good Person of Sichuan is a parable tale, asking what it means to be good in trying times. The play opens with three gods asking if there are any good people left in the world. They come to Earth in search of such a person before eventually finding Shen Te, a prostitute with a heart of gold, who gives them room for the night. The gods, repaying Shen Te's kindness, reward her with enough wealth to buy a tobacco shop. However, she soon finds that it’s impossible to navigate the world without her ruthless alter ego, Shui Ta.

“It’s powerful,” said Jessie McCollum ’19, who plays both The Niece and Mi Tsu. “It looks at the importance of being good and how the male voice is dominant while the female voice is often disregarded.”

Brecht, an important 20th Century playwright, created Epic Theatre in the belief that using theatre as a tool encouraged people to think and take action in addressing key social issues.

Tickets are on sale now at the Ruth B. Shannon Center website. The play has three evening shows—Oct. 20-22 at 7:30 p.m.—and a closing afternoon performance on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. 

Below, hear an original song from the play, "Pigs Will Fly," performed by Ruben Sanchez ’18, who plays the part of Yang Sun. An instrumental version of "Smoke Song" is also available here.

Cast List:

 
Character Cast Member
The Water-Seller Cristian Perez
Shen Te/Shui Ta Jocelyn Lopez
1st God Jourdan Zelaya
2nd God Jacob Shore
3rd God Sydney Summers
Mrs. Shin Claire/Kevin Weissinger
The Wife Nikki Knupp
The Husband; the Priest Oliver Bineth
The Nephew; the Policeman Oscar Nava
The Sister-in-Law; Prostitute Stephee Bonifacio
The Brother; Waiter Anthony Valsquez
The Boy Samantha Paladini
The Niece; Mrs. Mi Tsu Jessie McCollum
The grandfather; Mr. Fu; the Carpenter Gerard Power
The Unemployed person; Mrs. Yang Alyse James
The Pilot (Yang Sun) Ruben Sanchez
Nitsu (a boy) Francisco Lozano