你可以取消静音
New Comedy Drama 探索s Big Issues and Female Friendship
为 some artists, the pandemic has offered an opportunity for a reset. 为 奇普曼杰西卡, a theatre student in the University of Idaho Master of Fine 艺术 distance program, the pandemic provided an opportunity to reexamine her dual love for directing and playwriting. Which is our good fortune because the award-winning high school theatre teacher, 导演, 剧作家, 播客, mother and wife found time to write a new comedic drama, “你可以取消静音” debuting as a livestream reading, 7月9 - 11.
“Sex and the City” Meets “White Privilege”
A combination of “Sex and the City” meets “White Privilege,” “你可以取消静音” brings us into the busy lives of three former college roommates, reconnecting on a wine-soaked Zoom call. Their conversation glows with gossip, memories of old flings and debauched parties. As the past is dredged, secrets are revealed and traumas exposed. A play about long-time friendship, 共谋, and what is left unsaid, “你可以取消静音” confronts contemporary issues and asks the question, “我们该怎么办??”
What began as a writing project for a U of I theatre class taught by Theatre 艺术 Chair 罗伯特Caisley is anchored in the summer of 2020. At that time Chipman was awarded Lake Region 艺术 Council’s Individual Legacy Grant to write a play designed for virtual performance. Chipman drafted the script while the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the #MeToo movement raged on. “The activism was inspiring,” said Chipman who lives in Alexandria, 明尼苏达州, two hours northwest of Minneapolis.
MFA Program Offers Supportive Environment
Informal readings and input from classmates, actors and 导演s helped to solidify the story, Chipman说. The U of I MFA program also reignited her love for theatre. “I loved the collegiality in the courses I took,” Chipman说. “I found that love again, 然后是一些, through learning from students and professors alike in a supportive and enriching environment,”她说。.
The cast features U of I professor and head of acting, 凯利Quinnett; 詹妮弗•休斯, a U of I Master of Fine 艺术 theatre candidate from Ogden, Utah; and 藏红花亨特 of 为t Collins, Colorado.
“I’m overwhelmed by the talent of the whole team,” Chipman说.
Designed for Virtual Performances
While “你可以取消静音” was purposely designed for virtual performance, Chipman has 11 other plays to her credit that have been produced across North America. She co-founded Dynamo Creative, a female-led theatre company committed to amplifying the stories of women and has directed over thirty-five productions for educational theatre programs and community theater.