Forging theatrical talent

The Forge first opened at the University of Idaho as a site for crafting metal, and after today, the repurposed building will be a performance space for testing the mettle of playwrights, directors and performers affiliated with the UI Department of Theater Arts.

The grand opening of the Forge Theater is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today, and will include refreshments and a facility tour until the 7:30 p.m. performance of “The Gift of Gab – Two One Act Plays.” The first play will be “Love Improvisation,” written by MFA candidate Steven Robert King, followed by “Come On Over,” by Irish playwright Conor McPherson.

Director of “Come On Over,” Nathaniel Quinn, and his cast have rehearsed in the Forge for the past two weeks. He said the space is a temporary replacement for the recently demolished KIVA Theater.

“(The Forge) feels very much like a black box theater, when you walk in, there is a feeling like the room can move around or with you,” Quinn said.

Associate Professor in the Department of Theater Arts Matt Foss said the name “Forge,” was chosen by a large group of theater students and staff. He said there are many similarities between how the Forge was utilized historically, and how it’s to be used as a theater.

“The Forge is going to be a process based learning laboratory where we can hammer, craft and shape new work, much like you would in a metal shop,” Foss said.

UI Junior Eve Weston said even though she feels like the Forge is smaller than the KIVA Theater, she is happy to have a space that won’t negatively affect human health.

“We lost our spaceship, but that’s OK,” Weston said. “I heard there was (asbestos) in the walls, and that kind of freaked me out.”

When the KIVA was shut down over summer, Foss said the university was quick to offer a replacement space for the department. He said the former metal shop was eagerly cleared of its old utilities to make way for the new space.

Quinn said the Forge will be used as both a performance and rehearsal space, until the university replaces the Forge with a more permanent performance space. After that, the Forge will be used specifically for rehearsal, Quinn said.

“The Gift of Gab – Two One Act Plays” is free for UI students, and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available for pre-sale at BookPeople of Moscow and can also be purchased at the door. There will be additional shows on Thursday and Friday, as well as two performances on Saturday and the closing performance on Sunday.

The 90-seat, multi-configurable Forge Theatre is located on 404 Sweet Ave., across from the Intermodal Transit Building in the Education/College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences Annex.

George Wood can be reached at [email protected]

 

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