Theatre Goes Online with Virtual Performances of Brendan Beseth's 'Thrift Store Junkie' Sept. 10-12

University of Arkansas

Thrift Store Junkie

The Department of Theatre in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas presents a virtual production about thrift stores, used books, and the search for authenticity.

The play, Thrift Store Junkie, written by third-year M.F.A. playwriting candidate Brendan Beseth, in partial fulfillment of his thesis, and directed by Steven Marzolf, a professor of performance in the theatre department, will open at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10 via Zoom. 

Thrift Store Junkie centers around Henry, a thrift store bookhound, and his crazy encounter with a mysterious foreign woman (played by Betsy Jilka).

Told in the first-person perspective, Henry (played by Chris Tennison) recounts the strange events that led to the real-life ghost story that changed him forever. Both hilarious and poignant, Thrift Store Junkie challenges us to look deeply at what it means to live an authentic life. 

Of the production process, Beseth says, "It's been a true joy to work with Steven, Chris, and Betsy on this script. I've never had the opportunity to delve so deeply into one of my plays with a cast and a director who are all so invested in making it as good as it can possibly be. It's been a total blast and something I'll always remember fondly."

Tickets for Thrift Store Junkie are free, but reservations are required by visiting uarkartstickets.com. 

Step by Step Instructions:

• Go to uarkartstickets.com
• Click Category "Theatre"
• Click "Get Info" on the show on the date you plan to attend
• Click "Register For This Event Here"
• You will be directed to a Zoom Webinar Registration Form
• Fill out the Required Information AND the Class Name/Class Section. (Students, please use your uark email)
• Click "Register"
• Once you are approved, you'll receive an email with the show link as well as a reminder an hour before the performance begins.

For more information, please visit the Department of Theatre online.

About the playwright: Beseth is a third-year M.F.A. playwriting candidate at the University of Arkansas. Most recently his play A Vegas Kind of Love was a finalist for Rogue Machine's Premier Award for best new play at the 2017 Hollywood Fringe Festival. He has written a number of screenplays, including one that was made into a feature film starring Kirsten Dunst and James Caan, but his true love is writing plays. Beseth is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Actors Studio Playwrights and Directors Unit, West.

About the Department of Theatre: The Department of Theatre in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences has been providing exciting and affordable live theatre for more than 60 years. The department combines a first-rate theatrical education full of hands-on experiences with a wide selection of titles to challenge students and delight the community. The department offers a broad-spectrum program in the context of a liberal arts education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre, and the Master of Fine Arts degree in six concentrations: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Costume Design, Scene Design, and Lighting Design. Classes at both undergraduate and graduate levels are focused on providing a strong, professional orientation to theatre performance and technology in conjunction with appropriate research-based coursework to address the required foundations in theatre history, dramatic literature and dramatic criticism.