Nature turns strange and savage in `The Service Road’ at City Tech

December 27, 2012 New York City College of Technology (City Tech)

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A nature guide attempts to find a lost child after a violent storm of mythic proportions hits Prospect Park in the world premiere of “The Service Road,” a highly visual multimedia show to be performed from Jan. 11 through Feb. 2 at New York City College of Technology (City Tech), Voorhees Theater, 186 Jay St. in Downtown Brooklyn.

In “The Service Road,” Obie award-winning playwright (“Map of Virtue”) Erin Courtney examines what it means to be of service and the true nature of forgiveness. The once-peaceful service road where the nature guide gave tours turns strange and even savage as she searches for the lost child.

On her quest, she meets the denizens of one of the few natural places left in a large city. The nature guide is a modern-day Hercules — very strong, very loyal, a little thick — who is trying to do penance for a very bad thing she had done when she was out of her mind.

Says director Meghan Finn: “Although the violent storm in `The Service Road’ occurred in 2010, the play has taken on an unsettling significance for the entire creative team in the aftermath of Sandy. Several of the City Tech students working alongside our designers to create the technology and media for the show have been devastated, losing property or their homes.”

The Adhesive Theatre Project, which is presenting the play, is the 2012-2013 Artist in Residence at City Tech. Since 1999, the company has been collaborating with artists in a broad range of fields, from fashion designers to scientists, illustrators to engineers, to create experimental, multidisciplinary work.

City Tech’s Entertainment Technology program, now in its 17th year at the college, has 170 students studying for their bachelor’s degree. In theater, they must be able to design and construct scenery, install sound and lighting systems and be adept at mechanical engineering when scenery automation is required. Many of these skills will be used by the students participating in this production.

Tickets are $15 for general admissions and $6 for students. For further information call (718) 260-5588 during regular business hours. For recorded information call (718) 260-5592. To make reservations go to www.theatreworkscitytech.org and click on “get tickets.”