Student-written play 'White Privilege' selected for Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival

December 11, 2018

MILWAUKEE — "White Privilege," a play written by Marquette Theatre student Malaina Moore, has been selected to be performed next month at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Region III Festival in Madison.

KCACTF is a national theatre program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide that has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States. The Region III festival will include plays from schools in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Marquette Theatre cast will perform three matinees at the 130-seat, black box Hemsley Theater at Vilas Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus, 821 University Ave., Madison. There will be one performance on Thursday, Jan. 10, and two on Friday, Jan. 11.

Additionally, Marquette Theatre will hold a public performance on campus Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. The show will be held in the Weasler Auditorium, 1506 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee. (Note: This is not the typical location for Marquette Theatre performances.) Tickets are $10 and can be ; a portion of each ticket sold will help offset expenses for theatre students traveling to the festival.

"This is a major regional competition and a true honor for both our student playwright Malaina Moore and director Debra Krajec," says Dr. Stephen Hudson-Mairet, chair of digital media and performing arts. "I am very proud of our students' strong artistry and hard work, as well as the great leadership of our faculty members — congratulations to all involved."

"Being invited to KCACTF for 'White Privilege' had not been something I even expected when writing the script," Moore says. "However, I am very blessed to be able to take it to larger audiences and continue to impact and change people's ideas when it comes to racial relationships and the concept of privilege. It is honestly one of my proudest theatrical accomplishments thus far."

Moore was inspired to write the play "White Privilege" after seeing a Facebook post that sparked discussion about what the term means to different people. Her play, which was performed to sold-out crowds at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's Helfaer Theatre in September, examines how the color of one's skin can lead to a very different experience of the world.

In a discussion on the We Are Marquette podcast, "White Privilege" assistant director A.J. Magoon, Comm '18, interviewed Moore about the making of her work. is also available online.