by Phoebe Billups '19

Allison Diamond ‘14 and more than a dozen Knox College faculty and alumni constructed a biting commentary on anti-immigration politics in the American premiere of John Hollingworth's internationally acclaimed play Multitudes, performed at Victory Gardens in Chicago earlier this fall.

"I majored in theatre and minored in religious studies, so this play was a fantastic combination of my two areas of study," says Diamond, who served as dramaturg for the American premiere of the play.

Co-produced by Vitalist Theatre and Rasaka Theatre Company in association with The International Voices Project, Multitudes was directed by Elizabeth Carlin Metz, Smith V. Brand Endowed Chair in Theatre Arts, who made her Chicago acting debut in the production. Craig Choma '93, associate professor of theatre, was the scenic designer.

As dramaturg, Diamond assisted in all aspects of the production to ensure that the message of the show came across clearly to the audience. One of her first tasks with Multitudes was to create a glossary of obscure or unfamiliar terms in the script for the performers and audience. This was especially important because the production deals heavily with Islamophobia. "The script for Multitudes contains many Islamic terms that are critical to the plot," she said.

This is not the first time Diamond has served as dramaturg for a production directed by Carlin Metz. As part of her Honors project her senior year at Knox, Diamond was dramaturg for the main stage production of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play).

When Carlin Metz invited her to work on Vitalist's production of Multitudes, Diamond gladly accepted. 

"Racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and sexism are symptoms of fear that can be dismantled by truly understanding and empathizing with those who are different from you," Diamond said, "I believe that is the goal, not only of this production, but of theatre and live performance in general: to understand a point of view that is different from your own, even if only for the two hours you spend in the theatre."

Vitalist Theatre was co-founded by Carlin Metz and Robin Metz, Philip Sidney Post Professor of English. Their Chicago productions have won acclaim from critics, including Mother Courage and Her Children, which received honors for best direction, best actress, and best composer; and A Passage to India, which won an award for Overall Technical Achievement and was nominated for a "Jeff Award" for excellence in Chicago theatre.

Other Knox Alumni Involved in the Production: 

Kelly Lynn Hogan '92: actor
Morgan Cohen-Ross '06: understudy
Kathleen Dickinson '09: production stage manager
Martin Helms '09: shop foreman
Kevin Goetsch '09: set crew
Allison Smith Hahn '10: costume designer
Kat Reiser '11: lighting crew
Ivy Reid '12: lighting designer
Andrew Purvis '15: master electrician
Emily Antoff '15: assistant director
Emily Ioppolo '15: assistant stage manager
Oakton Reynolds '15: lighting crew
Holden Meier '16: graphic designer
Caroline Foulk '16: assistant stage manager

Pictured above: Kelly Lynn Hogan '92, far right, in Multitudes.