After weeks in the fall of receiving UT alerts about sexual assaults on campus, the topic of rape culture has been brought to the forefront.
In conjunction with Sex Week’s Red Zone, the Clarence Brown Lab Theatre will show “Extremities,” a play focused on the topic of rape and sexual violence against women in our society.
The theme of the play is sexual assault and the issues that follow and plague the victim and those close to her as she tries to move forward in life and prosecute her rapist.
“Extremities” has only 4 characters: the victim, the rapist and the victim’s two roommates.
McKinley Merritt, a senior in theatre, has the opportunity to play one of the main characters.
“I play the character Patricia, roommate of the main character, who is a social worker,” Merritt said. “I would say I’m the most logical in the case of what happens during the show.”
Merritt said after reading the script over the summer, she was stunned at the end. “Extremities,” which is based on a real court case, ends on a tough note, but it also brings forth the reality of what happens in many sexual assault trials.
“The scary thing about this is that it happens more often that in cases like this, the rapist gets off,” Merritt said. “I have a great appreciation for this script and knew after reading it that it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.”
Merritt said she appreciates the honesty of the script and how the audience follows Marjorie, the main character, from beginning to end and hopes she finds justice.
The play also targets themes of rape culture, such as victim blaming, as well.
“I think this is something that can happen so easily, and I think this show has given me a different view on even just that,” Merritt said. “It’s something that happens so often to people our age and affects us that I think this is a great time in our lives to open the conversation about it.”
Kolt Free, a senior in College Scholars focusing on diversity and social activism through the arts, is working on “Extremities” as part of his senior thesis project. Free directs in addition to helping with production.
Free said the production of “Extremities” is very “in your face” and leaves no room for the audience to remove themselves from the action.
“I think it is incredibly important that UT students attend this event and others like it,” Free said. “If we want to change the culture around sexual assault, work to end violence against women, and make our campus community safer for everyone, then people have to talk about these subjects openly.”
“Extremities” will play at Clarence Brown Lab Theatre on Friday, Jan. 30 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
