Photo courtesy of OUT LOUD Theatre
By Theresa Brown and Veronica Sloane
On Mar. 15, the OUT LOUD Theater, a group led by University of Rhode Island alumna, Kira Hawkridge, showcased photos and performances from their past six seasons of plays on the URI Feinstein Providence Campus.
Hawkridge, a theater major and 2012 graduate, worked closely with photographer Justine M. Johnson of Piquant Photo for years leading up to this showcase. Since OUT LOUD began, they have captured the essence and meaning of each play throughout photos that were displayed on the walls of the Providence campus.
“We’ve had six seasons,” Hawkridge said. “This whole gallery is a really fantastic opportunity to display the visual aspects of what our photographer has been able to work with us on.”
The gallery featured photos from shows such as “Antigone,” “Dracula,” “Coriolanus,” “Jane Eyre” and “King Lear.” Photos were arranged by season, starting with older seasons on the second floor of the Feinstein Campus lobby area, and newer seasons on the first floor where the performances were put on.
Alan Hawkridge, a URI theater professor and the father of Kira, could also be seen in the art. He was featured in the photographs taken from his roles in past shows, including “King Lear” and “Marat/Sade.” Alan’s wife was also featured in some of the pictures as she acted in plays for OUT LOUD, including “Antigone.”
“Antigone” was one of the six shows performed by OUT LOUD that featured a specific theme. The play used different types of props and movements, in this case cloth, to create a mood. All of the shows had different themes that could be generalized into the broader category of women’s rights and beliefs.
Steve Pennell, the founder of the URI Providence Campus gallery and President of Gallery Night Providence, has been putting on different gallery nights every month over the past 17 years. Ever since the campus became an urban initiative, Pennell has been looking for galleries that present issues on social justice and diversity. Since this month in particular was Women’s History Month, he wanted showcase a gallery that exhibited the voices of young women and their thoughts on society.
“I’ve known Kira Hawridge for years,” said Pennell. “Her theatre company takes theatrical works and interprets them in movement theater, really through the voices women and how [they] perceive the text and interacting with people.”
The gallery was displayed from Feb. 26 to Mar. 23 at the URI Providence campus.