When the Birmingham-Southern College theatre program stages its production of Never Have I Ever later this month, it will be more than just a drama. It will be the result of an exciting theatrical collaboration between students and faculty at BSC, The Farm Theater of New York, and Pennsylvania’s West Chester University.

BSC’s theatre students are spending their January Exploration Term working on this new play that grew out of a nine-month collaboration with the Farm Theater in Brooklyn.

The students and community are having a direct impact on the development of the play, which focuses on addictive behavior around food and body image with the playwright, two-time Eugene O’Neill semi-finalist playwright Jan Rosenberg, interviewing students of the participating schools on the topic.

Two BSC seniors, Megan Pecot (who is directing the production) and Brennan Martignoni (who is designing the lighting), along with professors Dr. Alan Litsey and Matthew Mielke—

engaged in three days of discussion and readings of the play in New York over the summer with the playwright, professional actors, and students from West Chester.

“Our plan is to work with the Farm on an every-other-year basis, so that our students have the unusual experience of developing a new play with a professional playwright,” said Litsey. “The Farm Theater’s College Collaboration Project allows students leaders, designers, actors, and technicians to support campus-wide conversations about topics we hope are timely and meaningful.”

Performances will be held in the College Theatre/The Underground during Jan. 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 28 at 2:30 p.m.  The production will be performed using adult language and situations.