Two Students Share Love, Life and Sacrifice in “I and You”

OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan – An ode to youth and the strange beauty of human connection, Oakland Community College's production of "I and You" opens to the public February 16-25.

"This production is a wonderful piece of theatre with a surprise ending. It features two OCC theatre program actors: one current student and one alumna working together at their best," said OCC faculty member Dennis North, Fine and Performing Arts department. "Their performance is beautiful and the story is very emotional and uplifting."

"I and You" premiered at the Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, CA in the fall of 2013. Since then, it has won multiple drama awards and been performed internationally.

"...A validation of the human experience and of the triumph of life over death. Gunderson's gift is the best thing a play can offer: we might be better people after seeing it," said Tim Treanor, senior writer for DC Theatre Scene and Fellow of the National Critics Institute.

The following is a preview from Playscripts: One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound due to illness, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and sardonic as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this seemingly mundane poetry project unlocks a much deeper mystery that has brought them together.

Show dates are February 16, 17, 18 and 23, 24, 25. All performances are at 8:00 p.m. at the Oakland Community College, Lila Jones-Johnson Theatre located on the Royal Oak Campus, 739 South Washington Avenue, Royal Oak. General admission is $15; students and seniors (age 62+) pay $5.

Advance tickets are available at occevents.eventbrite.com or at the Lila Jones-Johnson Theatre Box Office each night of the performance. For more information about OCC's theatre program contact Dennis North at (248) 522-3636 or visit the College's theatre program home page.

About OCC

With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, Oakland Community College offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields as well as university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts. The College provides academic and developmental experiences that allow each student to reach their full potential and enhance the diverse communities they serve.  More than 45,000 students annually attend OCC and more than a million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. To learn more about OCC, visit oaklandcc.edu.

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Media Contact: Bridget M. Kavanaugh | Marketing & Community Relations | (248) 341-2020 | bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu