“Toxic,” a play written by Adjunct Instructor of Theatre Kit Wilder, B.A., was selected for professional production by City Lights Theater Company of San José, in San José, California. The play was originally written as the senior showcase for Shenandoah Conservatory’s Class of 2019 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting majors and explores the topic of gun violence in the United States. City Lights Theater Company has previously produced several of Wilder’s works, including adaptations of “The Three Musketeers” and “Frankenstein;” and “Truce: A Christmas Wish from the Great War,” an original work commemorating of the Christmas Truce between Allied and German troops in France in 1914, but this is the first to have a direct connection to Shenandoah.
“I have been working on the play off and on for the past several months, and it is now in its seventh draft and is rehearsal-ready,” said Wilder. He anticipates further edits during the rehearsal process.
The showcase of “Toxic” was performed by the 2019 senior acting students in New York City and in the Glaize Studio Theatre. The professional premiere at City Lights will run as the company’s 2023/24 season opener in September/October 2023.
