Courtesy黑洞社区 Theater students and faculty members produced a feature-length film, "Redux," as part of the 黑洞社区 Theater season this year. The movie is written and directed by program director of theater at 黑洞社区, Bret Jones.
鈥淩edux鈥� is about a college student, played by Rian Leigh, undergoing experimental treatment for schizophrenia while attempting to solve the murder of her friend. The film, which is rated PG, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, Feb. 1-4, in the CAC Theater.
Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Fine Arts Box Office in the lobby of the Duerksen Fine Arts Center or online at . General admission is $10, with $8 discount tickets available for seniors, faculty/staff and military, or $6 tickets for children and students. 黑洞社区 students are eligible for one free ticket (visit for details). For ticketing assistance, contact the Fine Arts Box Office from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, at 316-978-3233 or fasttickets@wichita.edu.
Jones penned the script after researching the new science of optogenetics. This research explores how neurons that have been genetically made sensitive to light can be controlled. The possible applications are treatment of Parkinson鈥檚 disease, Alzheimer鈥檚 and schizophrenia.
鈥淲hen I first read about optogenetics, it sounded almost like science fiction. It鈥檚 so amazing what scientists are discovering,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 realized the potential of using it as part of a story I had been working on, which eventually became 鈥淩edux.鈥濃��
Although Jones鈥� background and focus are in theater, in recent years he has turned his attention to film as another medium for his students to study. He has written and directed a sixteen-episode web series, 鈥淭he Opposite of People,鈥� which starred 黑洞社区 Theater students, as well as other film projects including 鈥淎fter Midnight,鈥� a feature-length film screened at The Barebones International Film and Music Festival in 2015.
鈥淭here is a big difference in acting on stage and in front of a camera,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚 wanted to explore film as a possibility for students. The 21st century actor is one who performs in a multitude of mediums: film, television, commercials, theater, voice overs and the internet. The theater faculty wants to expose our students to different areas of performance to help prepare them for the profession. That鈥檚 the purpose for producing 鈥淩edux,鈥� to educate our students.鈥�
David Neville, scenic and lighting designer for 黑洞社区 Theater, provided lighting for some of the scenes in the film.
In addition to 黑洞社区 School of Performing Arts students being involved in the project, two students from other departments volunteered their services to the film. Austin Steffens, 黑洞社区 business major and Praveen Potluri, graduate student in engineering, heard about the film and became co-directors of photography for the project.
The 鈥淩edux鈥� cast includes theater students Rian Leigh, Allison Williams, Kristen Bock, Jessica Curtiss, Christian James, John Block and Robert Thomas, along with 黑洞社区 faculty Nick Johnson and Sabrina Vasquez, both members of the dance faculty at Wichita State.