Somebody Called Hits the Stage

Texas State Theater’s latest production has hit the stage.

The Texas State Theater Department’s latest offering opened Tuesday night, February 18.  It is titled, “Somebody Called,” and it will be shown in the theater main stage through Sunday.  The play, which is based on the Shakespeare classic Othello, is about two preachers.  It is set in the 1950s and examines the start of the Civil Rights movement from the perspective of a small black community.  Eugene Lee, the writer and director of the show and resident artist here at Texas State, talks about the origins of the play.

“I got a commission from George C Wolf at the New York Shakespeare Festival, and they’d done a couple of my plays there.  He called me and said “Gene, I want a play about two preachers roughly based on Othello, can you write that?” And I said “Yes.”  That’s how this play started.”
– Eugene Lee

Lee is a distinguished alumni here at Texas State.  He graduated in 1974, and Texas State invited him back as an artist in residence.  This allows Lee to pursue his professional activities outside of the University like movies and TV shows while also directing or acting in a show every other year.  Here Lee speaks about the impact he would like his work to have as well as the teaching opportunities his work presents him.

“This is special because you know I’m not just directing, I’m teaching in a way.  I like to think that I teach with my work, whether I’m involved with it or not.  Whether I’m acting, directing, or just writing.”
– Eugene Lee

The show starts at 7:30 every night except Sunday, which is a 2:00 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $15-18 for general admission and $8 for students.

James Pineo, KTSW News