May 4th Voices

by David Hassler

“May 4th Voices: Kent State, 1970”  brings together first-person narratives about the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State University. First performed in 2010 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the shootings, the “May 4th Voices”  play is composed of verbatim excerpts from the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project.

Weaving these voices and stories together, Hassler’s play tells the human story of May 4, 1970, and its aftermath while capturing the tragedy, which had a profound impact on the nation and is credited as a catalyst in changing Americans’ view toward U.S. involvement in Vietnam. 

All Performances Canceled

Kent State University’s COVID-19 preventative and proactive actions call for the cancellation of all events for the remainder of the spring semester. We are following recommendations from state health authorities to limit large gatherings and practice physical distancing to slow transmission of the virus. We take these steps to ensure the health and safety of our patrons and to be proactive in an effort to prevent illness.

Ticket Information

Adults - $10
Seniors (55 and over) - $7
Non-KSU Students (17 and under) - $7
KSU Students - Free with current ID

• Tickets sales begin April 6 at 8 a.m.
• Purchase tickets online, by phone or in person at the Box Office.
• Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted. Checks and cash accepted in person at the Box Office.
• Tickets purchased online or by phone will be available at Will Call.
• Will Call opens one hour prior to curtain time and closes when the performance begins.
• Kent State Students: Free admission with current Kent State ID. Seats must be reserved in person at the Box Office.
• No refunds for purchased tickets. Exchanges for the same production can be made by contacting the Box Office prior to the reserved performance date.
• Tickets held at Will Call will be forfeited if not picked up by curtain time.

Cast

To be announced.

Production Team

Jim Weaver: Director
Jim Weaver is a director and choreographer whose body of work includes productions of Next to Normal, In the Heights, David Mamet’s Race, Spunk, Purlie, August Wilson’s Radio Golf, Fences, and Jitney, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Five Guys Named Moe, Guys And Dolls, Once On This Island, Saturday Night, Ain’t Misbehavin’, A Soldier’s Play and several others; including award winning productions of A Raisin in the Sun and Floyd Collins. Mr. Weaver, a Master of Fine Arts recipient from Kent State University, has had his work seen at New York’s Lincoln Center, The American Stage Festival, Maine State Music Theatre, The Weston Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Porthouse Theatre, The American Stage Company, Bay Street Theatre, and many others in addition to choreographing productions of Ragtime, The Rocky Horror Show, and Legally Blonde for Kent State. Internationally, his work has been presented in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria. In addition to his work as a director and choreographer, Mr. Weaver is an actor and singer who has performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, and across Europe. He has been seen on television, in films, and can be heard on several cast recordings and voice-overs. Mr. Weaver is a proud member of SDC with further information available at his website.  

Ron Jarvis: Sound Designer
You might recognize Ron Jarvis as a performer, producer, music director, and/or composer for such stalwart North East Ohio acts as The Buckeye Biscuit Band, Ital, First Light, Alex Bevan, Pat Dailey and, most recently, Macaw; the American Worldbeat Band. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Kent State where he has taught Art of the Theatre and Theatre Criticism classes as well as the three part series of Sound Design and Technology classes for the Entertainment Arts and Technologies certificates program. Ron has worked with world renowned directors Vincent Dowling (composition for The Winter’s Tale at Kent State) as well as Ping Chong (Blindness: The Irresistible Light Of Encounter at La Mama Theatre in NYC) and has served as a live mix consultant at Geauga Lake and Cedar Point Amusement Parks. Although his first sound design for Kent State Stark was for the 2002 production of Dancing at Lughnasa, since 2007 he has designed many of the Kent State Stark theatrical productions including Oklahoma!, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Into the Woods, The Revenger’s Tragedy, The Mikado, Crazy for You, Dating is Tough to Do...and Funny, Too!, Songs for a New World, Plumfield, Iraq, Evil Dead: The Musical and Anton in Show Business.

Ryan Lucas: Set Designer