TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
TXST Theatre & Dance presents ‘Oh, to be pure again’
Texas State Department of Theatre and Dance presents Kira Rockwell’s “Oh, to be pure again,” Oct. 17 to 20 and 24 to 26 in the PSHF Studio Theatre.
Winner of the Gene Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award (2023), Rockwell’s “Oh, to be pure again” holds a magnifying glass to the delicate, formative ph ase of self-discovery watershed to the female experience.
Set against a Texas summer backdrop, “Oh, to be pure again” follows six young women as they progress through a week at a Christian church camp in 2010. Rockwell’s writing dedicates itself to making this a representation, not a parody of women navigating faith, gender dynamics, self-love and identity.
The production features a core female cast made up of Eva De Guelle (Autumn), Fallon Fontenot (Rachel), Hailey Heitmeyer (Trina), Rheagan Higgins (Luna), Sierra Salazar (Jean Ruby) and Lilli Shank (Becca).
The cast also features Hunter Domzalski (Adrian) and Jaden Petty (Rachel’s Dad).
The run will include an understudy performance on Saturday Oct. 19. The understudy cast consists of Kennedy Burns (Luna), Kylie Hill (Jean Ruby), Hailey Heitmeyer (Trina), Jaden Petty (Adrian), Nathan Schutt (Rachel’s Dad), Karina Bozanich (Autumn), Miranda T. Grauzas (Becca) and Kady Waldmann (Rachel).
The creative team includes Kacey Wasson, scenic designer; Michael Aguilar, costume designer; AJ Rose, lighting designer; Julia Kovar, sound designer; Isha Patel, dramaturg; Magali Carrasquillo, technical director; and Jessie Flam, production stage manager.
“In the end, we have a baptism, a rebirth,” Director Caitlin Parker, a second-year MFA student, said. “It’s a ritualistic return to nature, and girlhood, and desire, and worship and love. All of the things God is supposed to be.”
“Oh, to be pure again” runs Oct. 17 - 20 and 24 - 26 in the PSHF Studio Theatre, with the understudy performance on Oct. 19. Tickets range from $10 to $15 and can be bought online at txstatepresents.com.
