Detroit Mercy has an up-and-coming play on its way. After the performance of “Witch,” viewers can be expecting a deeply emotional and riveting play titled “Ripped.”
The play will run at the Live 6 Alliance Event Space in Detroit on Nov. 22.
The director of the play is Mycah Artis. Just as “Witch” had a love story element to it, “Ripped” has a theme of love to it as well, with an added twist. Artis hinted a little bit about the plot of the play.
“‘Ripped’ is about a complicated sexual encounter on a college campus and the dynamics that play out as a result,” Artis said.
Artis has been directing and performing for various theater companies for over 15 years. She mentioned that “directing is a combination of having a creative vision, flexibility, and the ability to communicate in order to achieve your vision in collaboration with others.”
Li Udell, a sophomore at UDM who is in the play, described the play as “heavy because it deals with consent and what counts as rape.”
This is a relevant play to be able to view in our world today, especially with the issues with violence for women and women’s rights in multiple parts of the country. This play walks the line between what is right and what is wrong in today’s society.
Udell plays the main character of Lucy. Udell said that they are very excited and a little nervous about their role in the play being the main character. Udell mentioned that the play has very heavy content; with a play that has very heavy content and emotions, Udell says it is important to send the right message to your audience.
One of Udell’s favorite scenes in “Ripped” was from one of the readings that they performed during the cold reading. A “cold reading,” for those who aren’t familiar with theater jargon, is when an actor reads aloud from a script or text with little to no preparation time. The scene that Udell performed from the cold reading was when Lucy confronts one of her rapists after the charge was filed. Udell liked this scene because it was “high strung and emotional.”
Another cast member is Kasai Hooper, a freshman at UDM. Hooper is playing the role of the narrator in the play. Hooper has been in theater since she was in middle school, and when she entered high school, she became interested in acting itself.
Hooper has a lot of expectations for “Ripped,” especially because she has a very involved role. She expects a lot of “action and interaction from the play” and like Udell, she had also mentioned that it was a very “active and emotional play.”
