Huntley High School Thespians kick off 2021-22 season with 'Dead Man's Cell Phone'

Huntley High School Thespian Troupe 6147 will kick off the 2021-2022 theater season, "The Wait Is Over," with performances of Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone" in the school's new Blackbox Theater, Sept. 23-25.

Directed by Troupe Sponsor Christine DeFrancesco, it features a cast of 13 students portraying the story of a woman whose life is forever changed simply by the answering of a dead man's cell phone.

An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough of it. And a dead man - with a lot of loose ends. So begins "Dead Man's Cell Phone." It is a work about how we remember the dead - and how that memorialization changes us. It is the journey of a woman forced to confront her presumptions about morality, redemption, and isolation in a technologically obsessed society.

"Dead Man's Cell Phone" portrays the concerns regarding the power of communication, particularly how obsessed we have become to stay in touch at all times, even at the most inopportune times.

Performances will be held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Sept. 23-25, at 7 p.m. in addition to a matinee performance at 2:00 pm on Saturday.

Tickets are $5 or free for District 158 students and can be purchased at D158.Ticketleap.com.

"Dead Man's Cell Phone" contains themes which may not be appropriate for young audiences.

All guests, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, must wear an acceptable face covering at all times while indoors at Huntley High School, including during the performances. Face coverings must cover the nose and mouth.

For more information, please contact Lorie Woods, Director of Huntley District 158 Performing Arts Center/Blackbox Theater at (847) 659-6107.