Inspiring Revolution on Stage
CFA presents The Weavers through Sunday
Click on the slide show above to hear Christopher Bannow talk about his experience with The Weavers. Photos by Robin Berghaus and Frank Curran
This weekend, the school of theatre at the College of Fine Arts presents The Weavers, a play by Gerhart Hauptmann, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1912. Set in 19th-century Germany during the Industrial Revolution, the play follows a group of Silesian weavers who unify and protest the mechanization of their trade. “All these weavers have the same voice,” says Christopher Bannow (CFA’09), who plays the role of Old Hilse, “and it’s not until they combine their voices that anything changes.”
With over 40 roles, a play of this proportion is a challenge to produce, but provides a special experience for its members and audience. “When you see 30 people on stage, you know that you are not going to have a personal relationship with each character,” says Bannow. “Instead, you get to fall in love with this group.”
Asked what people living in the 21st century can take away from The Weavers, Bannow says he hopes audiences will walk away with a sense of excitement. “This show is about our ability to change,” he says, “and if we can just harness it together, there’s no stopping us.”
The Weavers runs through December 16 at the Calderwood Pavilion's Wimberly Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., Boston. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $12 for the general public, $10 for BU alumni, students, and senior citizens; members of the BU community receive one free ticket per BU ID at the door on the day of the performance, subject to availability. Tickets can be purchased online at www.BostonTheatreScene.com, by phone at 617-933-8600, or in person at the Calderwood Pavilion box office.
Robin Berghaus can be reached at berghaus@bu.edu.