Graduate playwright debuts ‘Jimmy Cory’ this weekend at Wells-Metz

In a world where “Desperate Housewives” has swept the airwaves, the IU Department of Theatre and Drama would like to add a little more dirty laundry to the basket. At 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Wells-Metz Theatre, “Jimmy Cory,” written by graduate student playwright Kevin Daly, will make its world debut.\nEast coast factory worker Jimmy Cory, played by junior Winston Fiore, tries his best to clean up the mess his father made years before. Along with with James ‘Flip’ Carrigan, portrayed by doctoral student Chris Hatch, Jimmy’s father scammed the town out of thousands of dollars, leaving Jimmy with all of the debt. Jimmy’s little brother Bobby, played by freshman Kelly Lusk, gets tangled in the web while getting himself into his own deadly mess. \n“There are a lot of surprise turns,” Lusk said. “An average Joe can’t catch a break. The play is definitely about human tragedy, when one tries so hard and doesn’t get the results you want.”\n“Jimmy Cory” is the thesis performance for Daly. He said he spent more than a year writing the play, and then spent more than six months rewriting it.\n“I’m just a student writer, I’ve got a great deal more to learn,” Daly said. “A lot of people other than just me put hard work into the production. This is definitely more than just a world premiere. This is the first production for some actors, first production for the stage manager. They deserve the credit, not me.”\nThe show has about an hour-and-a-half runtime, which is superb for any audience, but especially for a college audience with a short attention span. However, this show is quoted as being “raw and dirty,” meaning it’s intended for a mature audience. Some actors said there are also messages of “forgiveness, hope for a better life,” and “feeling what others feel.” However, Daly had other thoughts about it.\n“I want the audience to get a good story, like a campfire story,” Daly said. “Hopefully they pick up on what’s important. I can’t tell them what that is.”\n “Jimmy Cory” will run at 7:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday and Dec. 4-8 in the Wells-Metz Theatre. There is a matinee performance at 2 p.m. Dec. 8. Tickets are $16 for adults and there is a student and senior discount for the Tuesday through Thursday and the matinee shows. Student rush tickets are available the day of the performance for $10 cash with a valid student ID. Tickets are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Visit www.theatre.indiana.edu for more information.