John Deserves to Die by Rachel Greene

Director: Regine Vital
Playwright: Rachel Greene

All is calm until theater department favorite Professor Daniel Holmes casts unassuming freshman Laura Vogel as Carol in his Spring production of David Mamet’s Oleanna. No one is less pleased than ambitious, fat sophomore Jen Barnett, who threatens to expose a secret that could turn lives and careers upside down. When passionate student reporter Andy Stark starts to follow leads for an explosive exposé, it is only a matter of time before dangerous truths come out. Art begins to imitate life as secrets unravel, masks come off, and classic texts are challenged. In this decidedly murderous exploration into the devilish intricacies of sex, power, consent, and gender politics in academia, three students take control in asking: If Carol was telling the story, wouldn’t John deserve to die?

Content Warning: fatphobia, implications of disordered eating, discussion of murder, discussions of rape, stylized on-stage depictions of sexual assault, onstage moments of physical/sexual violence, explicit language including the c-word