Machinal, the 1928 play by Sophie Treadwell that featured a youthful Clark Gable, is currently back on Broadway this month, drawing a lot of attention from film critics in New York.
Treadwell’s groundbreaking drama will also make it to UCSC’s Mainstage Theater this winter--running from February 28 through March 9--with a student cast led by Theater Arts lecturer Kirsten Brandt, who is also associate artistic director for San Jose Repertory Theatre.
Inspired by the sensational murder trial of New York housewife Ruth Snyder in 1927, the story was the talk of the town, capturing the interest of countless journalists and writers.
Convicted and sent to the electric chair, Snyder became the first women to be executed in New York State in the 20th century.
The high profile case even inspired the classic 1944 film noir, Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Edward G. Robinson.
In honor of the connection between Treadwell's play and Wilder's film, the UCSC Theater Arts Department will host a special one-day screening of Double Indemnity on Monday, February 24, at the Nickelodeon Theater in downtown Santa Cruz, beginning at 7 p.m.
Theater Arts’ Brandt will also present a brief talk about the shared origins of the play and film prior to the Nick screening.
Admission is $7.50, and yes, there will be door prizes.
Brandt will also be hosting two post-show conversations with the theater audience after both Saturday performances of Machinal at UCSC’s Mainstage Theater.
Tickets for Machinal are available at santacruztickets.com, the UCSC Ticket Office (831) 459-2159, and at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium box office.
No reserved seating.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
For more information, go to the UCSC Arts Division web site.
