Wilson students to perform Katrina play

Description

The Wilson College Drama Club, known as the Kittochtinny Players, will perform a powerful play about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, seen through the eyes of a young man who volunteered to help rescue the pets left behind. Performances of Because They Have No Words will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, in Laird Hall. Admission to the shows, which are open to the public, is free but donations are gratefully accepted.
Because They Have No Words, written by Tim Maddock and Lotti Louise Pharriss, is an autobiographical play that tells the story of Tim, a young man who travels to New Orleans in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina. Tim volunteers to help with the rescue of pets and other domestic animals left behind in the evacuations, expecting to perform support activities like cleaning cages, walking dogs and answering the phone. Instead, he finds himself going into the city and surrounding parishes to perform the actual rescue of animals left behind.
Moved by the plight of the animals and the distress of the displaced owners desperately trying to find their pets, Tim is motivated to track down some of the rightful owners so that they can be reunited. In the course of his trip, Tim encounters not only the physical and psychic devastation of the storm, but also issues of racism, bureaucratic incompetence, theft of animals by some of the volunteers and the effects of displacement on residents of the city. 
Parents considering bringing children should be aware that the play includes strong language and mature themes, such as the death of animals, racism and sexual orientation.