For Theater Previews at Duke, it's not just art for art's sake.
Debuting Friday, The Great Game will bring a first-class cast, design team and a Tony-nominated director to Duke.
Theater Previews chose the play in part for its compelling story of love and betrayal set against the backdrop of 1870 India and England, but also because of the conversation it could bring to Duke.
"It fits with Theater Previews' mission [to develop new works for American theater] and it belongs at Duke because it can start discourse, discussion," said Producing Director Zannie Giraud Voss. "It has a lot of meat and substance."
Speaking to this substance, Anjali Bhimani, who plays the lead role of Safia Hayward, explained that the play has many parallels to today's society. The term "Great Game" refers to the struggle between Czarist Russia and Britain to control the land between China and India.
"This is very similar to the kind of race the countries in our society today-like the U.S.-are trying to do in the Middle East," Bhimani said. "There are people making huge political decisions far, far away."
The campus and local North Carolina communities get to see the play, which is coproduced by Duke, before anyone else. Voss compared the production of the play to science developments in a lab, making use of University resources, time, space and student interns.
Bobby Steggert, who plays Martin Hayward, the play's youngest character, feels the play also has an inspirational message for students.
"[My character] dreams of being an artist, but is expected to follow in his father's footsteps and go into the family business," he said. "You watch characters who are expected to do one thing, but instead follow their dreams. It's important for students to be reminded that's their opportunity today."
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