UAH Theatre presents Lauren Gunderson’s “I and You”

“I and You” will run Feb. 15-18 and 22-25 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 19 and 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the Studio 106/Black Box Theatre in Morton Hall on the UAH campus.

UAH Theatre’s century-spanning season begins the spring semester with Lauren Gunderson’s contemporary dark comedy "I and You." Gunderson is one of the most-produced living playwrights in America this season, and her work taps into a deep well of storytelling, surprises, humor, and poignancy.

Produced around the country, "I and You" is a worthy example of a playwright in her prime. It opens with Caroline, a high school student who is homebound due to a chronic illness that is getting worse. She has cut herself off from her friends and her family, staying only in her room with her cat photos and her beloved stuffed turtle, Turtle. Enter Anthony, Caroline’s classmate and a basketball player who loves jazz and poetry. Fresh from a game, Anthony is in Caroline’s room to get her help on a project they have due in their American Literature class on "Song of Myself," a poem from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. On the surface, Caroline and Anthony have nothing in common; however, over the course of an evening, they find more points of connection than they could have ever expected.

UAH’s production of "I and You" is directed by assistant professor Amy Guerin, who joined the faculty of the UAH Theatre Program this past fall. "I have loved ‘I and You’ since I first read it two years ago, and I am honored to introduce myself to UAH and Huntsville theatre lovers with this play," she says, adding that rehearsals with the play’s two actors have been a joy. "One of the best things about this play is how Gunderson writes Caroline and Anthony. She doesn’t make them into post-millennial stereotypes. They are both dealing with the ramifications of the unfair hands they’ve built dealt in life, and do so with humor, empathy, and just enough vinegar to make it interesting."

"I and You" will run Feb. 15-18 and 22-25 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 19 and 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the Studio 106/Black Box Theatre in Morton Hall on the UAH campus. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $7 for seniors and non-UAH students, and free for UAH students with ID. Tickets can be purchased at the door, online, or by calling 256.824.6871.