For its second production of the 2022-23 season, Theatre TJC delves into “Holes,” Louis Sachar’s adaptation of his novel and motion picture of the same name.
The production runs 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 9-11, and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, in Jean Browne Theatre on the TJC central campus.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors ages 65 and up, students and active military. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 2, in the box office located in the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center. Box office hours are 1-6 p.m. weekdays. For reservations, call 903-510-2212.
Under the direction of TJC theatre professor Jacob L. Davis, “Holes” examines the experiences of Stanley Yelnats, who has found himself under a curse that began with his dirty, rotten, no-good, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses.
Stanley has been unjustly sent to Camp Green Lake, a boys’ detention center where the detainees build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake, but there are an awful lot of holes.
It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something — but what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment — and redemption.
The cast and crew
Characters and cast members: X-ray, played by Jackson T. Holmes of Tyler; Armpit, Reggie Robinson of Chicago, Illinois; Magnet, Izayek Suarez of Palestine; Zero, Isaiah Person of Tyler; Zigzag, Asaiah Ruiz of Tyler; Stanley, Hagen Howard of Dallas; Toughest Kid in Camp/Judge/Townsperson, Michael Jackson of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Mr. Sir, Dylan Preston of Ferris; Mr. Pendanski, Timothy Wright of Longview; The Warden, Jillian Nutt of Crandall; Elya/Sheriff/Policeman, Devin Myers of Tyler; M. Zeroni/Townsperson, Manasseh Matatila of Fort Worth; Igor Barkov/Attorney General/Townsperson, Salvador Mendez of Whitehouse; Driver/Mayra’s Father/Jesse, Hayden Nash of Tyler; Myra/Linda, Corlie Hardy of Rusk; Sarah/ Mrs. Collingswood, Amasa Lynn Hartong of Van; Stanley Yelnats the first/Trout, Sam Murphy of Tyler; Kate Barlow, Elise Ray of Sunnyvale; Zero’s Mother/Townsperson, Tae’Kiria Jackson of Dallas; Stanley’s Mother/Townsperson, Audrey Lassanske of Brownsboro; Stanley’s Father/Townsperson, Layton Pratka of Tyler; Ms. Morengo/Townsperson, Crystal Mendoza of Tyler; and Sam, Nathan Hill of Chapel Hill.
Faculty production staff: Jacob L. Davis, stage direction and set design; Denise Weatherly-Green, lighting design; Luke Howland, costume design; Dr. David W. Crawford, theatre management and makeup; Lara K. Smith, theatre department chair; and Ethan Beam, facility director.
Student production staff: Travis Speer of Forney, assistant director/stage manager; Zion Gaylord of Houston and Shay Van Leer of Lindale, assistant to assistant director/stage manager; Jene van Heerden of Bethlehem, South Africa, director’s assistant.
Running crew: Hannah Davis of Tyler, costumes; Skyler Strickland of Hughes Springs, makeup and hair; Rachel Gibbs of Winona, lighting controls; Caiden Leon-Duffy of Tyler, sound design; and Victoria Ricketts of Lindale, head usher.
The 2022-23 season also includes:
• “An Evening of O’Neill: The Glencairn Sea Plays” by Eugene O’Neill, Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 22-25
• “Metamorphoses” by Mary Zimmerman, Tuesday-Saturday, April 25-29
For more information, go to TJC.edu/PerformingArts.