BU Players to Stage "Anti-Hero: Revenge of the Sw*fties"

The Bloomsburg University Players begin their 2024-25 season with a mainstage production of Anti-Hero: Revenge of the Sw*fties, a new play by Derick Edgren Otero. The play runs November 7 through 10, at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Bloomsburg. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

In Anti-Hero, fourteen-year-old Cora assembles her fellow super fans to demand that a prominent music critic change his scathing review of a country-turned-pop star's most divisive record. When he ignores her demands, an entire fandom works to save their queen's reputation using vigilante tactics. Will the fandom, the critic, or karma itself prevail?

"Anti-Hero is a funny, smart, wild ride of a play. Although there are a lot of Taylor Swift references in the play, you most certainly don't have to be a Swiftie to enjoy it," says Prof. David A. Miller, the play's director. "The play is about more than Taylor Swift. The play is about the consequences of any extreme celebrity obsession and how we all work daily to create or defend our identity, regardless of age. Some of us go to great lengths to fight for our big reputation."

The costume designer is student Abbey Bowman, the sound designer is student Thomas Halko, the lighting designer is student Mitchell Leso, and the scenic designer is guest professional Jen Varbalow (Six Characters in Search of an Author, Harvey, The Arsonists with BU Players). The stage manager is student Francesca Webb with student assistant stage managers Gibby Goodenough and Amelia Heigel. The dramaturg is student Emily Shaffer and the social media associate is Katie Kuhlen.

The cast includes Kelsey Sheffe as Cora, and Ymani Marseille-Garcia, Rho Keppley, and Gia DeLuca as her fellow Swifties. Kalie Peterson plays Cora's mother Bonnie, Colin Search plays music critic Scott Brunner, and Andrew Meschke plays Scott's husband Malcolm.

Tickets are free for current CU-Bloomsburg students, $6 for adults, and $4 for seniors and students. The play is not intended for children. The play, running 90 minutes without intermission, contains mature language and themes. Tickets are available in advance at the Arts in Bloom Box Office in the Haas Center for the Arts on the campus of CU-Bloomsburg or at the theatre box office one hour before curtain.

Anti-Hero: Revenge of the Sw*fties was developed as part of the Iowa New Play Festival where the playwright was an MFA student at University of Iowa. The play was further developed during the professional Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in June 2024 with Prof. David A. Miller at the helm of the workshop. This production will be the first fully realized production of the play outside of Iowa.

This production is part of Plays in Bloom: A New Play Development Program at CU-Bloomsburg which provides opportunities for CU-Bloomsburg students to collaborate with fellow students and with guest professional theatre artists on the nurturing of new plays.

The Bloomsburg University Players, the producing arm of the division of Theatre and Dance at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, promote experience in all aspects of theatre and are a proud resident producer of Arts in Bloom of Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg. Participation with BU Players is open to all current students. The BU Players mainstage season continues with These Women of Troy by Joe Stollenwerk, an adaptation of the play by Euripides, March 6-9, 2025, and the 14th Annual Dance Concert, May 4 and 5, 2025.

For more information about the BU Players, visit buplayers.org. For more about Plays in Bloom, visit playsinbloom.org.

For more information about the production, contact Prof. David A. Miller at dmiller@commonwealthu.edu or 646-541-6135.