At the center of this “poignant and thought-provoking tale” is the story of an African American couple searching for an ideal vacation in Africa. With inadequate planning and poor navigation skills, the couple becomes lost and fatigued. Fortunately, they come across the Imperial Hotel, a formerly grandiose establishment borne out of British imperialism. What initially appears to be a comfortable situation becomes the backdrop for a hostage situation as both guests and captor dispute contradictory values and definitions regarding what it means to be African. The characters face unexpected and at times dangerous circumstances that raise questions about racial and cultural displacement.

The performers, described by director Dawn Renee Jones as “a very interesting cast of Macalester [students],” include Nisreen Dawan ’04, Mikhail Higgons ’04, Nonni Hlongwane ’04, Sarah Meyeroff ’04, Simon Morrison ’04, Elliot Stapleton ’05 and David Jacobs ’07. The cast began rehearsals for Mud River Stone during J-term, and Jones believes the hard work has created a cohesive piece.

“The student actors have really gotten their minds and hearts around this play,” Jones said. “They are giving thoughtful and passionate readings of the script and the issues it explores.”

Building the show’s beautiful and elaborate set has taken “thousands of man-hours,” said sound designer Lindsay Woolward ’07. Indeed, the set is larger, contains more props and is more intricately designed than one would expect from a college show with a mere six performers. It will be fascinating to see how the cast fills and utilizes this space.

Jones has been a guest professor in the Macalester Theater and Dance Department for eight years. She is also the Artistic Director of Alchemy Theater in Minneapolis, a company that specializes in presenting the work of playwrights of African heritage. The piece was selected by Macalester Theater Department Chair Beth Clearly following a reading that was held at Alchemy in 2002.

Nottage, the playwright, a 33-year old Brooklyn, NY native, has been called “one of America’s most exciting new playwrights.” Her other titles include Crumbs from the Table of Joy and Las Meninas.