TAMU-C theatre production to explore 'bystander effect'
Feb. 27—This Friday, the Texas A&M University-Commerce Playhouse will have its opening night of "Here Kitty Kitty."
The play draws on the much-studied "bystander effect" that surrounded the murder of 28-year-old New York bartender Kitty Genovese in 1964 — an incident of which The New York Times initially reported that the murder was seen or heard by 38 witnesses who failed to call the police or come to her aid.
The play, "Here Kitty Kitty," written by Dallas-based playwright Janielle Kastner, presents a modern-day exploration of the so-called bystander effect. It brings together characters that include true crime podcasters who don't look after their own safety, a theatre troupe that's trying to summon the spirit of Kitty for a groundbreaking production, as well as authors and journalists who are busy finding facts to support the angles of the stories they're working on. Meanwhile, the audience can see a woman lying on stage who's in need of help.
The production is being directed by A&M-Commerce playwriting and theatre pedagogy instructor Jackie Rosenfeld.
Showtimes will be this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., and next Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m. All performances will be in the University Playhouse at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Tickets can be purchased online for $3 at https://bit.ly/41vRUmB.
