ONLINE: The Niceties

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courtesy Forward Theater

Samantha Newcomb joined the American Players Theatre apprentice company in 2019; she is a cast member of the Forward Theater production of "The Niceties" in 2021.

It's the final weekend to stream Forward Theater Company's production of the Eleanor Burgess play The Niceties, in which a Black college student (played by Samantha Newcomb) and a white professor (Sarah Day) disagree about the student's thesis on the roots of the American Revolution. The discussion soon heads into territory that may have an impact far beyond the professor's office. Find tickets here to view the play anytime through Feb. 7; a series of talkbacks with the actors and director will also be available, via Zoom.

press release: From January 22 - February 7, Forward Theater will present The Niceties, by Eleanor Burgess. In The Niceties, Zoe, a Black student at a liberal arts college, is called into her white professor’s office to discuss her paper about slavery’s effect on the American Revolution. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes into an urgent debate about race, history, and power.

The play will be co-directed by Jen Uphoff Gray and Milwaukee-based artist DiMonte Henning (seen in Forward's production of Skeleton Crew).  The cast includes Sarah Day (seen recently in Forward's Life Sucks, and at American Players Theatre), and Samantha Newcomb (seen recently at American Players Theatre and in A Christmas Carol at Children's Theater of Madison).

Due to significant public health concerns about gathering in indoor spaces that are expected to continue through January, Forward is focused on keeping patrons and artists safe. Therefore, Forward Theater will present The Niceties entirely online.

It will follow the popular model created by The Lifespan of a Fact, which was a pre-recorded, virtual experience created by theater and video artists. Video preshow lectures, online streaming guides, and live talkbacks via Zoom will continue to be included as part of an online ticket.

Online tickets are available for purchase on ForwardTheater.com.