Don’t be surprised if you learn some personal secrets when you watch the upcoming performance, “Playing Gender: A Community Based Piece.” The subject matter and the words themselves come from interviews by company members of students, faculty and community members.

“We’re in the creative stage where things are being pieced together,” says Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Ron Miller, who will be directing this type of interactive theatre for the first time. “There are some unknowns, and I’m dependent on the contributions of the students who are not only performing the roles, they’re writing the play.”

The advanced theatre lab, “Community Based Performance,” began last spring with a workshop identifying topics of interest. The group chose to focus on gender issues – specifically how people “perform” their gender in different ways, and how others feel about and react to those performances.

The group presents their creation, “Playing Gender: A Community Based Piece,” at 8 p.m. Nov. 14-17 in WMC Alumni Hall. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors (65+), students and the McDaniel community. For ticket information, call the box office at 410-857-2448.

Students in the class include Davalas Henry ’07, Peter Kendall ’08, Danielle Knell '10, Jacob Moriarity-Stone '08, George Moorehead IV ’09, Alex Neiman ’08 and Brandon Senter ’09. Additional student actors include Colleen Alford ’10, Ryan Brown ’08 and Katie Ridgway ’10.