The Memorandum

Presented by the School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing at the University of Guelph

Show Description

The Memorandum is a hectic, tense and unpredictable play set in the mid 20th century. The show follows two men in their fight for power through a bureaucratic crumbling environment. Taking place in a government office building, a foreign language called Ptydepe quickly becomes the norm leaving the director of the organization clueless. Unbeknownst to the director, it was his deputy that secretly enforced the use of Ptydepe into the office. What starts as a simple rivalry between the two quickly escalates into something deeper that keeps the audience guessing until the very end.

Please Note

The Memorandum will be presented in the College of Arts Arts Research Centre (ARC) Theatre in the MacKinnon Building at the University of Guelph. The 80 seat performance space has flat access through button-activated doors and proximity to an accessible washroom on the same floor. The majority of the seating is tiered with some floor-level seats.

While also being absurdist in presentation, this production contains themes of workplace oppression and bureaucracy, references to alcohol consumption, and depictions of gender roles and objectification that are of their time, and do not reflect the societal values held today.

This performance contains bright lights, lighting shifts, projection effects, and some sudden noises.

It runs approximately two and a half hours, including a 15 minute intermission.

For questions about accessibility or content, please email thsthouse@uoguelph.ca