Young Players Tackle Dystopian Future With Haman’s Play, “City on the Hill”
“City on the Hill,” an intense drama for young actors by John Haman, will see its debut produced by the Young Players company at the historic Royal Theatre in downtown Benton, AR March 7-10.
The play depicts a dystopian future United States where citizens must prove their loyalty annually to an authoritarian government and its many watchers, thanks to a recent war, and a lingering climate of fear and hatred toward the “other.” Performances will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7, through Saturday, March 9, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10.
Ticket prices are $12 for general admission; $10 for senior citizens, Military and college students with a current ID; and $6 for kids in 12th grade and under. Tickets may be purchased at theroyalplayers.ticketleap.com or reservations can be made by calling 501-315-LIVE.
The cast of “City on the Hill” includes:
• Katherine Kuli of Little Rock and Izzy Hammonds of Benton are alternating the roles of Kate and Heather
• James Mainard of Little Rock as U.S. Sen. Don Rankin
• Giovanni Hiblong of Benton as Jayden
• Angela Morgan of Bryant as Pricket
• Patti Airoldi of North Little Rock as Irene
• Savannah Price of Bryant as Dakota
• Zachary Glover of Benton as Blake
• Seth Nuss of Bauxite as Gunner
• Maverick Burlison of Hot Springs as Crow
• Deandria Weaver of Little Rock as Kendal
• Olivia Kreulen of Benton as Luca
• Shelby Loftis of Bryant as Bailey
• Lauren Redmond of Little Rock as Kingsley
• Matthew Burns of Benton as a guard
“City on the Hill” is stage managed by Lexie Ellis of Bryant and produced by Katrina Lilly of Bauxite, with lighting design by Britni Dumas of Little Rock.
In the play, a revolution is launched against bigoted, totalitarian rule by a teenage girl who is innocently caught up in the commission of a hate crime at her high school. The play was workshopped in 2017 and 2018 with two central Arkansas high schools and with the Young Players. The play features a powerful teenage heroine, a strong LGBTQ character of color, and a provocative fight scene.
“City on the Hill,” which features up to 14 speaking roles, was written in 2017 by John Haman of Bryant, a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Rolling River Playwrights Collective. The play can be performed entirely with young actors, or with three adults in speaking roles. The Young Players production, directed by the author, is employing adult mentors in the adult roles.
“In 2016, a wave of xenophobia and bigotry began sweeping across the western world,” says Haman. “It began with various refugee crises and was stoked by the Brexit vote in Great Britain, a decision that was prompted, in large part, by fears about non-white immigrants. “The United States was not immune,” Haman said. “I wrote this play so that kids could explore the possible outcomes of a world consumed with hate. When we read the play last February at Young Players, the kids were energized, and talked to me for almost an hour about it. They thought it spoke to many of the problems developing in our country, and in the world, and they wanted to give voice to it.”
Haman has seen significant success with his plays over the last year. His alternate-reality drama “Blood Moon,” received a staged reading at Arkansas Repertory Theatre on Dec. 1, and will be engaged in a professional table reading in New York City in March through Convergences Theatre Collective. His new, emotional drama for high schools,” Edgar: A Ghost Story,” has already been produced by high schools in two states, and the Lakeside High School (Hot Springs) production recently won best in show at the Arkansas Thespian Festival, allowing the troupe to take it to the International Thespian Festival in June. His unique novel adaptation “I am Frankenstein” was recently a finalist in the national Greenway Reads novel-adaptation contest, and is tentatively set to be staged by a Little Rock-area high school in fall, 2019. Finally, his traditional comedy “Shadetree Curiosities” won the 2018 Hendrix/Murphy Alumni playwriting award in 2018.
Young Players is the youth education arm of The Royal Players and exists primarily to teach its members all aspects of theatre: set design, lighting, stage and house management, directing, and producing. Through the involvement with the Young Players, each member will learn valuable skills about leadership and teamwork while providing a service to the community.