Anon(ymous)
By Naomi Iizuka
Directed by Chelsea Burke
February 22nd-25th, 2024
Guest artist Chelsea Burke directs Anon(ymous) by Naomi Iizuka. Anon, a young refugee from a faraway land, travels across the U.S. searching for some semblance of home and memories of the mother from whom he was separated long ago. Anon’s experiences are both brutal and beautiful, including encounters with a terrifying one-eyed butcher, an unnerving and alluring bartender, and the threat of losing himself in the storm—but also, unexpected friendship and the comfort of supernatural aid. A powerful modern take on Homer’s “Odyssey,” Anon(ymous) explores the enduring themes of identity, coming-of-age and the shifting nature of home in the face of displacement.
Anon(ymous) is never overtly political, but poignant in how it poetically captures the sense of the loss of home. While the show can be seen as timely—the most recent UN Refugee Agency Global Trends Report shows that over 100 million people world-wide were forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, conflict, and violence in 2023—Iizuka was quoted in a 2014 DC Theater Arts piece saying that Anon(ymous) is “universal and transferable, regardless of the political climate,” and described the play as the perennial story of refugees and immigrants present, past, and future. Audiences can expect an entrancing story, captivating design elements, and a dose of radical empathy.
…………………………………..
Performance/Box Office Info:
Performances take place at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts located at 922 Park Ave.
Showtimes:
TH 2/22 – 7:30pm
FRI 2/23 – 7:30pm
SAT 2/24 – 2:00pm
SAT 2/24 – 7:30pm
SUN 2/25 – 3:00pm
Tickets: bit.ly/vcutheatretix General Admission $15. Discounts available for students and VCU community. VCUarts Theatre alumni can book two complimentary tickets to any performance in advance. All tickets are general admission. The VCUarts Theatre Box office is now cashless. Please purchase tickets online or in-person with a credit/debit card. Seating typically opens 30 minutes before performances.
Box office contact: theatretix@vcu.edu | 804-828-6026.
Anon(ymous) has an expected runtime of approximately 1.5 hours
Content includes: violence, gore, war sounds/topics, trauma, loud noises, haze, bright lights, threat of sexual coercion, human trafficking, and racism.
Parking: There is a paid parking deck located at Harrison and Broad. You can also use public street parking which follows Richmond City regulations.
………………………………………..
Questions? Please reach out to the VCUarts Theatre Box Office. Phone: 804-828-6026 | Email: theatretix@vcu.edu