"Love and Information"

UTC Theatre Co. is stepping outside of the box in 2019 with Love and Information by Caryl Churchill February 12 through 16 at 901 Lindsay, the events venue at the corner of Lindsay Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. This kaleidoscopic play of short scenes addresses contemporary issues about knowledge, technology, and our capacity for love.

Director Gaye Jeffers says of this play, “Love and Information is a big container of ideas and emotions. A giant suitcase of over fifty short plays with over 100 characters played in our production by eleven actors.” Jeffers’ interpretation of the open-ended structure of the show lead her to emphasize inclusivity and diversity in staging the production. Each actor portrays different characters, often outside the construct of gender or stereotypical relationship roles. This underlines the work’s universal themes of communication, human connection and the intersection thereof.

Love and Information is the first play UTC Theatre Co. is doing in their series of shows performed in found spaces while the university’s Fine Arts Center is being renovated. Jeffers, who is no stranger to working in found spaces, is very enthusiastic about having the opportunity for students to work outside of the traditional proscenium theatre. “Performing in 901 Lindsay puts the audience and actors inches apart instead of feet. The intimacy of this venue is sublime for this play. I continue to be drawn to a quotation from Anne Frank as I work on this play. ‘We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are different and yet the same.’”

The creative team includes: Gaye Jeffers (director), Adam Miecielica (set design), Chalise Ludlow (costume design) and Jeff Davis (lighting design and technical direction).

UTC Theatre Co. presents Love and Information at 901 Lindsay located in downtown Chattanooga. The play runs February 12-16 at 7:30 pm, with an additional matinee at 2:00 pm on Saturday, February 16. Tickets can be purchased at the UTC Fine Arts Center box office in person or by phone at (423) 425-4269, or by visiting https://www.utc.edu/theatre. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $10 for students (with proof of student ID) and seniors. Seating is limited.

Audiences should be advised that Love and Information contains adult language.