Cycles of violence and revenge churn in a mythic tale coming to the UTC Fine Arts Center’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre stage.
The UTC Theatre Co. begins its 2024-2025 season with its production of legendary poet and playwright Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 1-5, with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Tickets can be purchased online and through the UTC Box Office—in person or by phone (423-425-4369). Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors.
With a run time of approximately 80 minutes, UTC Professor Steve Ray—the play’s director, head of the Department of Theatre and artistic director of the UTC Theatre Co.—said the production is “more like a poem in that it is brief and eloquent.”
“When I pitched the idea of ‘Blood Wedding’ to the rest of the faculty, they got really excited,” Ray explained. “This is a very important piece of international dramatic literature and different from other productions we’ve done this time of the year.
“As much as García Lorca is remembered as a playwright, he’s remembered as a poet, and this is a very, very, very poetic piece. It’s also a dark, weighty and important piece. Our actors haven’t really done that much of this kind of thing, so it is a good experience for them.”
García Lorca (1898–1936) is widely considered one of Spain’s greatest literary figures of the 20th century. His works often explored themes of love, death and the plight of marginalized individuals, blending surrealism with deep emotion. His most famous works include the poetry collections “Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads)” and “Poet in New York,” as well as plays such as “Blood Wedding” and “The House of Bernarda Alba.” His life was tragically cut short when Nationalist forces executed him at the start of the Spanish Civil War in August 1936.
The play, which explores the themes of love, fate and societal expectations, centers on a young bride-to-be who—on the day of her arranged marriage—runs away with her former lover who belongs to a rival family. This act of defiance ignites a violent conflict between the two families, ultimately leading to a deadly confrontation.
The 20-member cast is comprised of the following UTC students (academic year/major/hometown):
- Caton Taylor (senior/theatre: acting/Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
- Harris Thompson (freshman/theatre: acting/Signal Mountain, Tennessee)
- Lyric Boals (sophomore/theatre: design and technology/Gadsden, Tennessee)
- Lilly Reggio (freshman/theatre: acting/Knoxville, Tennessee)
- Calista Geralds (senior/theatre: acting/Chattanooga)
- Liam Phillips (freshman/theatre: acting/Knoxville, Tennessee)
- Alex Shepherd (freshman/theatre: theatre education/Lebanon, Tennessee)
- Olis Diaz (junior/theatre: acting/Chattanooga)
- Samantha Baker (freshman/theatre: theatre education/Sevierville, Tennessee)
- Mitchell Davis (freshman/theatre: theatre education/Cleveland, Tennessee)
- Cooper Lebo (freshman/theatre: acting/Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
- Taylor Jones (senior/theatre: theatre education/Sevierville, Tennessee)
- Prince Jackson (freshman/theatre/Nashville)
- Karlee Ming (junior/theatre/ Chattanooga)
- Alan Du (freshman (finance: business finance/Germantown, Tennessee)
- Brandon Toste (senior/theatre: acting/Memphis)
- Adam Tisdale (senior/art studio/Chattanooga)
- Cory Tilley (freshman/theatre: theatre education/Soddy Daisy, Tennessee)
- Bronwyn McEwen (junior/theatre/Lookout Mountain, Tennessee)
- Eli Nelson (sophomore/theatre/Ringgold, Georgia)
Student members of the production crew include:
- Chava Foutch–stage manager (senior/criminal justice/Maryville, Tennessee)
- Conard Belitz–assistant stage manager (junior/theatre: design and technology/Kingston, Tennessee)
- Solomon Ledford—assistant stage manager (freshman/secondary education: history, theatre: theatre education/Dunlap, Tennessee)
- Katie Forrester—assistant director (senior/theatre: acting/Rocky Face, Georgia)
Other members of the production crew include Emma Hoffbauer (scenic designer and production manager), Taylor Busch (costume designer), Alex Miller-Long (lighting designer and technical director) and Gaye Jeffers (dramaturg).
Upcoming UTC Theatre Co. productions during the 2024-2025 season include:
- “Bus Stop” by William Inge, Nov. 19-23. In this quintessential American story, bus passengers are stranded by a blizzard in a diner on the outskirts of Kansas City. Romance ignites, comedy abounds and life lessons are learned.
- “Bright Star” by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Feb. 25-Mar. 1. Comedian Steve Martin and musician Edie Brickell’s sweeping tale of love and redemption in the bluegrass-infused landscape of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s.
- “John Proctor is the Villain” by Kimberly Belflower, Apr. 8-12. At a rural high school in Georgia, a group of lively teens are studying “The Crucible” while navigating young love, sex ed and a few school scandals.
For more information, visit the UTC Theatre Co. page.
Location: The UTC Fine Arts Center is at the intersection of Dr. Roland Carter Street (formerly known as Vine Street) and Palmetto Street on the UTC campus.