"Dead Man's Cell Phone" opens Thursday night in Modlin

The Production Studies III Showcase performance of playwright Sarah Ruhl's comedy, "Dead Man's Cell Phone" opens at 7:30 tonight in Cousins Studio Theatre. The play is free and a ticket is not required for entrance, according to the Modlin Center for the Arts website. The play is directed by junior Chelsea Radigan, a student in the PS III class.

The story follows a woman in a cafe who discovers the person sitting next to her had a heart attack and died, said junior Laila Hart, a member of the cast who is not in the PS III class. His cell phone keeps ringing and the woman answers it for him, she said. "That is the route of all evil in the play," she said.

Becky Silverman, the costume designer and a student the PS III class, said, "Through answering his phone, she gets wrapped up in his life." She meets his mother, mistress, brother and other people in his life but cannot give up the dead man's cell phone, she said.

PS III students were responsible for the selection, production, direction and design of the play, Silverman said, and each student volunteered or was elected for a specific job. "Dead Man's Cell Phone" was chosen after months of reading and suggesting plays, but ultimately the PS III class voted for this comedy, she said.

The play premiered in Washington D.C. in 2007, and in 2008, Mary-Louise Parker of "Weeds" fame stared in a New York production the play, according to The New York Times.

"As a class we decided the message of dead man's cell phone was more pertinent to campus," Silverman said. "It's kind of indicative of our culture."

As costume designer, Silverman said choosing who wore a watch and who used their cell phone to check time was very important because the major themes of the play were the use of technology and the passage of time and death.

Performances will also be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as a matinee performance at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Contact staff writer Maria Rajtik at maria.rajtik@richmond.edu