A powerful student-directed production opens on Nov. 4 and will shed light on LGBTQ rights, abortion and the value of human life.
Jeremy Torres Lab Theatre will present “The Twilight of the Golds” which tells the story of a married couple considering abortion after genetic testing reveals the baby will be born gay. The play is being directed by Andrew Michael Carter, a performance production junior, and Sophia Jovanovic, a theatre education sophomore.
“The message that I get from this show is true acceptance can never happen without gaining understanding,” Carter said. “Especially in this part of Texas, still, it’s such a black or white issue. There are just so many dangers.”
Jovanovic joined as co-director after Carter felt a woman’s perspective needed to be included for the production to be a success. She said the story is interesting and thought-provoking and hopes students leave feeling empowered to affect change in their lives and the world.
“The ending of this play is a very very hard reality that a lot of queer youth experience,” Jovanovic said. She also admits “I’ve never ever really had to ask myself these tough questions about these tough circumstances with abortion.”
Written by Jonathan Tolins, the story takes place during the 1980s at the height of the AIDS epidemic in New York. Carter grew up in a conservative part of Texas and had little hope the play would be produced by his former high school theater.
He pitched the story anyway but the school rejected the idea due to the story’s sensitive topics. JTLT, an organization that accepts play submissions from all students and selects a few to produce each semester, approved Carter’s pitch to direct the play.
“I’m living my high school dream,” Carter said.
JTLT allows undergraduate students to choose and direct their plays, teaches about how the theater business operates and provides skills that can be used in a professional career. Created three years ago for undergraduates by undergraduate students, JTLT’s mission is to provide a space for students to freely create.
“We provide a platform for undergraduate writers, directors and actors,” Insha Iqbal, a performance production senior and co-manager of JTLT, said. “The biggest thing for me that I love about this organization is it has now spawned this place for undergrad artists to do what they love and to create really cool work and to collaborate.”
Excitement within JTLT is at an all-time high this year now that shows will be in front of a live audience for the first time. The organization was created right before the pandemic and all performances had to be broadcast through a video streaming service.
Since joining the organization, Iqbal has gained employment at an Austin theater company, was promoted to co-manager for JTLT and completely revamped the organization to create a streamlined process for future productions. Even though this is her final year at Texas State, Iqbal is happy with the organization’s progress and achievements so far.
JTLT is currently producing other projects including a playwright festival, fundraising and more student-directed plays. Any students interested in theater production, regardless of their major, are encouraged to pitch a story or apply for a behind-the-scenes job.
Showtimes for “The Twilight of the Golds” are 7:30 p.m. from Nov. 4-5 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 6 at the Texas State Theatre Center in room 209. Show tickets are free or “pay-what-you-can.
For more information on this production and other projects visit the Jeremy Torres Lab Theatre on Instagram @jeremytorreslabtheatre.