Eastern New Mexico University will be hosting a performance of "Gruesome Playground Injuries" at the University Theatre Center (UTC) at ENMU-Portales on Nov. 18–21, 2021. Showtimes are:
- 7 p.m. nightly, Thursday, Nov. 18 through Saturday Nov. 20
- 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 21
Tickets can be purchased at the UTC Box Office and are $10 for adult regular admission, with senior and active military discounted to $7.
In this commanding piece written by Rajiv Joseph and directed by ENMU Instructor of Theatre Ricky Quintana, a clumsy thrill-seeker and a self-destructive individual navigate friendship, love, and all the rocky parts in between. Eight-year-old Doug and Kayleen meet in a school nurse's office, beginning a lifelong intimacy, revealed through the physical and emotional injuries they sustain over 30 years.
In a 2011 review of the play, the New York Times stated, "These visible transformations underline the play's most intriguing aspect, its implications that its characters are compelled to act out their bruising fates by forces they never question or understand … The play is also steeped in a wondering fatalism regarding the basic human urge to hurt."
According to Quintana, "Gruesome Playground Injuries" tells a different kind of love story through sharp humor and even sharper insights into the human condition. "At the heart of ‘Gruesome Playground Injuries,' Rajiv Joseph asks us to examine why we hurt ourselves to gain some else's love or affection," Quintana said. "Injuries can chart an experience, a relationship and a lifetime. Working on this play has been healing in a cathartic way, and I hope it will resonate with audiences."
The cast features ENMU students Alex Sena and Mason Warner in the main roles, with Micaela Vigil and Ronin Stewart serving as understudies. The production is stage managed by Israel Stacy and assisted by Liam Hurley.
Contact:
Eastern New Mexico University
Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking
Phone: 575.562.2711
