“Cloud 9," a new production opening on campus, shows the reality of social change in a sexual way, bringing to life subjects such as sexual frustration and homosexuality.

The production, which will run Oct. 12 through Oct. 22 in the Little Theatre, was written by Caryl Churchill and directed by guest director Tracy Ward. The play chronicles the journey of a British family through the Victorian 1880s of colonial Africa into the late 1970s of London.

“The play explores two very different worlds, first the 1880s of a colonized Africa and then London in 1979,” said cast member Josh Hillinger, 20, a theater arts major. “It's all about sexuality and gender struggles and what it’s like to work and live with those social constraints, but also what happens when all those rules are suddenly dropped.”

Though the play jumps nearly 100 years between Acts 1 and 2, the characters only age 25 years. The time travel forces each character to deal with the problems surrounding his or her gender’s sexual oppression in the new world.

This is freelance guest director Tracy Ward’s first time working at SF State, although she has been directing since 1980. Ward has worked all over Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. She said her experience at SF State has been fantastic because the department has been very supportive.

“After working here, it almost seems that everything is much more serious then when working in the outside world. Here, students strive to create a more professional atmosphere,” said Ward.

For the cast, working with a director outside the department has been a great experience. According to cast member Talia Derry, 20, junior theater arts major, working with Ward has been unlike any of the experiences she has had in the other three productions she has taken part in at SF State. She credits this experience to Ward's meticulous nature.

Hillinger said Ward let them explore the show as well as their characters, and that after they began reading through the play, they started to become an ensemble.

The play, which focuses on a single family through both the first and second act, required each actor to play at least two different characters, some even three. “Cloud 9” features women playing some of the male characters and men playing some of the female characters to invoke the inner desires of the opposite sex.

“It’s fun to explore and create each character out of nothing but your own experience. The characters won’t even be finalized until opening night because there is so much information needed to create them, you then take everything that you have and add it to the words until it becomes something that you are proud of,” Hillinger said.

After five weeks of rehearsals, which usually run Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., the seven-person cast has formed a tight bond amongst themselves as well as the director and crew.

“Every single play is a different experience, new actors, a new director, and a new technical team. We are very tight knit and lucky that it is so,” said senior theater arts major and cast member Richard Luna, 25.

According to Hillinger, there is no real star to “Cloud 9” because the show is such an ensemble piece.

"In the show, we all rely on each other. Everyone is given an equal opportunity to shine and stand out, though it wouldn’t be complete unless we are all working together," Hillinger said.

Tickets for the performance are $8 for SF State students and seniors, and $10 for general admission. Contact the theater arts department for performance times.