The University of Houston-Downtown O’Kane Theatre’s upcoming stage performance features Yasmina Reza’s dark comedy “God of Carnage.” The satiric play explores the intricate balance of power dynamics and sharply highlights human behavior and civility gone awry. The production runs from Oct. 30 through Nov. 8, and tickets are only $5 at the UHD Cashier’s office.
Reza, the French playwright, is known for her plays “Art” and “God of Carnage,” which center on middle-class issues. “God of Carnage” premiered in 2006 with an English translation by Christopher Hampton, winning the 2009 Tony Award for best play. The story introduces two parents who meet to discuss a fight between their children, but their conversation spirals into chaos. The underlying message exposes the thin veil between adult civility and raw, unchecked emotion. Unlike the film adaptation “Carnage” (2011), the UHD reproduction remains loyal to the original stage translation.
Tim Klein, the associate professor of acting, shared the sentimental value of the play he directed fifteen years ago in Missouri. The theater department ensures that the performance will be funny and thought-provoking, without modernizing or reinterpreting Reza’s vision.
Klein conceptualizes the past performance, remarking, “The reaction from the audience was overwhelming, not only how funny it is, but how meaningful it is. I’m hoping to get the same reaction from the audience here.”
The production approach takes on performing in the round, only UHD’s second attempt in 40 years. The setup challenges student actors to perform on all four sides of the panoramic view, bolstering stage awareness and technical skills.
“Staging in the round allows our students to think three-dimensionally,” Professor Luke Fidell, Director of Theater said. “Every angle matters.”
The UHD theatres’ experimental production highlights a commitment to hands-on learning and professional practice, featuring a cast of four performers, a single act and no scene changes. Within 90 minutes, the play will center on character work and dialogue-driven storytelling. Student involvement ranges from acting, stage management, lighting, sound and costume design. Each semester, the theatre department offers scholarships to students from all majors who contribute.
With tension and laughter, “God of Carnage” asks audiences to reflect on morality and human nature. As Klein mentions, “People pretend to be good, but by the end of the play, all those masks fall away.” The dramatization of those realities will offer witnessing it up close and from all angles.
