Birth Witches at Cornell

Myra Duffour, Per Wiger, Daniel Dempsey

Mount Vernon - "The Cornell College Department of Theatre is proud to announce its upcoming production of Birth Witches. A dark yet funny satire by Iowa City playwright Jennifer Fawcett, this production is guest directed by Leda Hoffmann of the Milwaukee Rep. Birth Witches is also co-produced with Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre.  The production runs October 10 - 13 on the Cornell College campus. It will then be remounted at Riverside Theatre and run October 18 - November 3.

It's 1606 and the witch craze has come to London. King James rules a land steeped in superstition, trapped in politics and at the dawning of the Scientific Revolution. A new profession called "Physician" has become popular with the elite and the traditions of the midwives are called into question. As the new male doctors fight to replace the old female midwives, accusations of witchcraft overturn hundreds of years of tradition and release dark fears and acts of violence. Fawcett’s dramatic satire offers a heart-wrenching and darkly funny look at the superstition and politics that transformed midwives into witches.


Birth Witches is performed by an ensemble cast comprised of both student and professional actors. The cast includes Luke Brooks, Daniel Dempsey, Myra Duffour, Dorothy Jolly, Haley Karlson, Millicent Marter, Melissa Trentacoste, and Per Wiger. Professionals Tim Budd, Ron Clark Jody Hovland, and Jaclyn June Johnson join the cast from Iowa City and the surrounding region. In addition, the production has been theatrically expressed through the collaborative talents of Director Leda Hoffmann, Technical Director Don Schneider, Costume Designer Jenny Nutting Kelchen, Scenic Designer Paul Sannerud, Hair and Makeup Designer Mandy Chavez, Lighting Designer Courtney Schmitz Watson, and Sound Designer Sean Christopher Lewis. Due to adult language and situations, this production is for mature audiences.

Birth Witches opens on October 10th at 7:30 p.m in the Plumb-Flemming Black Box Theatre located on Cornell’s campus. The production runs again October 11th and 12th at 7:30 p.m. and will conclude with a matinee on October 13 at 2:00 p.m. Due to limited seating, audiences are encouraged to reserve tickets. Audiences are also invited to return or remain in the theatre on Friday night for a post-show discussion with the director, cast and crew.

Faculty, staff, and students of Cornell are admitted with a Cornell ID without charge, but are encouraged to reserve their tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, by calling in advance at(319) 895-4293, by emailing: boxoffice@cornellcollege.edu, or at the door.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for non-Cornell students. Groups of 10 or more will receive a 10% discount on admission."

(Source: Cornell College press release)