ODU Theater Group to Perform in Ireland at International Festival

May 12, 2014

A scene from "My Dorian"

The Starving Artists of Old Dominion University will perform this month at the 2014 International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in Ireland.

The ensemble will perform its original piece, "My Dorian," seven times during the May 5-18 festival, which features the works of 50 theater groups from around the world. ODU's inclusion marks the first time a university theater group has participated in the event.

The Starving Artists is a group of thespians who are devoted to bringing playwriting, directing, acting and technical design to the culture of ODU's campus.

"My Dorian" is an original adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," a novel that depicts how preoccupation with beauty can lead to one's ultimate downfall. "My Dorian" debuted at ODU last fall.

The entire production was conceptualized and designed by the ODU students and was directed and coordinated by local artist Ricardo Melendez, said cast member Connor Norton, who portrays Basil Hallward in the production.

According to a theater festival description of the play, audience members are invited to: "Explore the feelings, thoughts, and expressions of Wilde's characters as each are charmed, twisted, and ultimately brought to their demise by the beauty they sought to place so high on a pedestal. The higher the pedestal, the harder the fall. Become the next generation to allow Dorian and the people around him to seduce you with his ideal beauty."

For more information about the ODU theater troupe, visit the Starving Artist's website or Facebook page.