(MURRAY, Ky.) – The Murray State University Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts will bring Will Calhoun’s “The Balcony Scene” to the stage Oct. 23-26 in the Wilson Hall Studio Theatre.
The romantic comedy, penned by one of the lead writers of the hit television series “Friends,” follows Alvin, a recluse who has retreated from what he sees as a crumbling world into his Chicago high-rise apartment. His isolation ends when Karen, an eternally optimistic neighbor dealing with a persistent ex, moves in next door. The two meet on their adjoining balconies and develop an unlikely friendship that threatens to upend both their carefully constructed lives.
Director Matthew Crider said the 1990s-set play resonates differently today than when he first directed it two decades ago.
“It hits very differently in a post-pandemic world; we have different understandings of why a person may choose to avoid the outside world,” Crider said. “That said, romance is timeless.”
The production stars Rooks Russell, a graduate student in clinical psychology from Brandon, Mississippi, as Alvin Newton, and Brea Sona of Bowling Green as Karen Scott. Jackson Bell of Murray rounds out the cast as Paul Stevens.
Russell praised the collaborative environment of the production. “This process and these people have been another exceptional example of the great welcome Murray has given me this year,” he said.
Jade Bradley of Nicholasville serves as stage manager, with Kyree Meppen of Paducah as assistant stage manager.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23-25 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 26 on the third floor of Wilson Hall. Tickets are $10, with Murray State students admitted free with valid ID.
