Athas to perform in Luther's production of 'A Thread in the Dark'

2014 Oct 2

Lis Athas, Luther College senior of Blue Grass, Iowa, will perform as Nurse in Luther's Visual and Performing Arts production of "A Thread in the Dark," by Hella Haasse.

"A Thread in the Dark" is the story of an individual challenging gods, heroes, myths and monsters in pursuit of truth. In the story, Ariadne watches her father, King Minos, send 14 young men and women into the labyrinth as sacrifice to the minotaur each year. Horrified, Ariadne feels helpless to act, until Theseus is called in as a sacrifice. Buoyed by her love for Theseus, Ariadne finds the courage to demand that her father spare the lives of this year's 14. Instead, she soon discovers that deep within the labyrinth, there are secrets and terrors more horrible than monsters.

The performances, held in the Jewel Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the Luther campus, are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, and 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.

Athas, the daughter of Mark and Vickie Athas, is majoring in theatre and management at Luther. She is a 2011 graduate of Davenport West High School.

Tickets for the performances are $12 for adults, $5 for children five and under. Tickets can be purchased at Luther's ticket website, www.tickets.luther.edu, by calling the Ticket Office at (563) 387-1357, or by visiting the Luther Ticket Office, open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-10:30 a.m. and 11a.m.-3 p.m.; and Tuesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

"A Thread in the Dark" is directed by guest director, Ylfa Muindi.

Recently Muindi wrote and performed her one-woman show, "Typhoid Fever", as part of Chicago's long running fringe festival, Rhino Fest. She regularly collaborates with Redmoon Theater, which used her puppets for "Astronaut's Birthday" at the Museum of Contemporary Art. In Chicago she has also worked with Collaboraction, Curious Theater Branch, Rough House, Screen Door Productions and the Whiskey Rebellion.

Muindi's unique style is evident in all her productions. She says, "I utilize puppetry, spectacle, and robust physical performance to tell stories in ways that overcome the barriers created by language, ability and societal norms."