PennWest University’s University Players will present “Beware the Jabberwock!” an original play by student Bryan Karpinski, directed by alumna Amanda Rhoades, Oct. 15–17 in Blaney Theatre, Steele Hall, on the California campus. 

Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. each evening, with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17. Several schools also will attend a Friday morning performance. 

Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky,” the fantasy follows blacksmith Richard Smith, whose news of the creature’s death is eclipsed by a life-changing note from his love, Lily. The production brings together fantastical characters, swordplay and puppetry.

Karpinski first encountered the poem in a literature course during his freshman year. Drawn to its invented words and possibilities for interpretation, he began imagining a play of his own. He wrote the first draft that summer and gathered friends for a reading in his apartment.

The project later gained direction through a playwriting mentorship. Over the summer, Karpinski worked with his editor by phone and Zoom, using improvisation to explore characters and develop scenes. 

Now, he is watching classmates and friends bring that work to life — and helping build its world through his work in the campus scene shop. 

“It’s not just one person’s vision. It’s everyone working toward this common goal of this wonderful final product,” Karpinski said in an interview with CUTV. 

The production also brings him closer to a longtime ambition: becoming a published writer. The California performances mark the play’s first production, with revisions planned afterward before publication through Space Cadet Studios. 

Rhoades, a 2019 graduate, returns to direct after leading the California campus production of “The White Rose.” She described the new play as unexpected and whimsical. 

Ben Dean portrays Richard Smith, Peyton Reese plays Lily and Thea Jefferson appears as The Hero. The cast also includes Talen Bagwell, Eli Barbacow, Kayla Brill, Sarah Burke, Nate Helfrich, Gabby Joseph, Luciano Lopez, Isabela Moraca and Skylar Rutledge. 

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and seniors, plus ticketing fees. Admission is free for PennWest students. Reserve tickets at cur8.com/17392/project/141609. 

For more information, call 724-938-5582 or email hykesdavis@pennwest.edu.