University Theatre opens stage to student shows

University Theatre this week debuts “Why We Have A Body” by Claire Chaffee, the first show of UT’s Open Stage Season, an annual series of productions directed and produced entirely by students.

“Why We Have a Body” looks at the spectrum of mishaps, dangers, and ultimate rewards that can accompany women’s love for each other. The story follows Lili, a lesbian private detective, as she journeys through momentous episodes of her life from her own birth to her “flashback relationship” with her married, paleontologist lover.

Lili also must contend with important figures from her past, including her sister Joan-of-Arc-obsessed criminal who holds up convenience stores in broad daylight and her mother, an explorer who is determined to find herself while paddling a canoe down the Amazon River.

The play is co-directed by graduate students Melissa Friesen and Melissa Thompson. “Why We Have A Body” plays at Hemsley Theatre, Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave., Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-2 starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $3.