Posted on April 10, 2018 by Devon Beck

Penn State Berks Theatre presents “Biloxi Blues”

Penn State Berks Theatre presents “Biloxi Blues”

 The Penn State Berks Theatre Department will present Biloxi Blues, the second play in a trilogy written by Neil Simon, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 11–Saturday, April 14, 2018, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for veterans and Penn State students, staff, and faculty; $10 for general admission, and free for area high school students.

Described as a semi-autobiographical play, Biloxi Blues is told through the perspective of 18-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome from Brooklyn, who is drafted into the United States Army during World War II and is stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi. There he meets a diverse group of soldiers, including the gentle and intelligent Arnold Epstein, the play’s central figure, who is engaged in a power struggle with middle-aged, hard-drinking platoon leader Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey.

Biloxi Blues is the second chapter in what is known as his Eugene trilogy, following Brighton Beach Memoirs and preceding Broadway Bound. The play won the Tony Award for Best Play.

Penn State Berks senior Theatre major Taylor Clark Housel will direct the production. The cast includes sophomore Engineering major Daniel Jankauskas as Eugene Morris Jerome, sophomore Theatre major Brandon Reimer as Arnold Epstein, and first-year student Thomas Heiler as Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey. Other cast members include current students Christopher Adams, Evan Barton, Caleb Cleck, Tessa Eberlein, and Katelyn Bennett, and former student Charles Carr.

Daniel Harper will serve as stage manager and Kayla Kasmara will serve as deck chief.

Andrew Busy will handle lighting design and first-year electro-mechanical engineering technology major Patryk Smith will handle sound design,

The Penn State Berks bachelor of arts in Theatre provides students with a solid foundation to become successful theatre artists and effective theatre educators. The degree program also trains students in the skills to become effective communicators and professional program managers.

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Wish my town had a channel like this, very cool idea to bring the community together and give people a platform.

James

I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity you have created for our kids.  This experience is more than the TV show.  Eight students who probably never would have talked to each other were excited to execute a plan. Know that you make a difference.

Kristi

Thanks for your commitment to communication far and wide, for your technical support, and tireless efforts to bring fresh programs to BCTV. Bravo!

Liz

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Adrean

Fantastic work and thanks so much for the quick turnaround!  Always a pleasure to work with you and the rest of the BCTV team!

Jim

Thank you and your staff for all you do to accommodate so many different shows, personalities, etc.!  Can’t be easy, but we really do appreciate it.

Martha

I am happy and proud to be a part of such a dedicated assembly of talent and purpose. Thank you for being a part of my efforts to promote theater and the arts in this region.

David