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The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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“King Donald I”: Engaging Laughter and Thought at the Same Time

King+Donald+I%3A+Engaging+Laughter+and+Thought+at+the+Same+Time
Kathryn Mungin

“It’s very difficult to be anyone different in this era of our nation,” said Kathryn Mungin, senior in the University of Utah’s actor training program and author/director of “King Donald I.”

Ever since the 2016 election, the political environment in America has been tense, to say the least. Trump has been the most controversial president to date and never seems to be out of the media. Thankfully, “King Donald I” provides a chance to stop watching the news and be entertained by a show about another world with some comically familiar characters.

Mungin wanted to find a way to protest that would be heard. As a black woman on campus, she feels that when she does art the way she wants to do it, she is often marginalized for it, often hearing the phrase “You’re just an angry black woman.”

As a result, she wanted to find a farcical and entertaining way to express the problem of our “divided nation without pointing fingers to protect human life.”

“We need an activism that changes people’s ideologies and hearts,” Mungin said.

Her show “King Donald I” is set in modern day and begins with an action once considered to be so simple—a tweet. The tweet spirals into a fight for one man’s life, which further leads to a Miss Guantanamo Bay pageant. With a diverse cast, this show promises to have humor alongside horror.

“Art is the best way to put humanity back into people’s perspective,” Mungin explained. “It is easy to push things off, but once people are seen as human beings with pain and hardships and life and love it is easier to stand up for their rights.”

This piece hopes to start a conversation about the post-election effect on minority communities. as Mungin said, “There is always work to be done when it comes to diversity.”

Mungin describes her show as “a labor of love” and an “attempt to communicate without anger.”

That said, the play includes intense scenes with violent content including torture.

The show will premiere April 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building, room 202. This will be a one-night-only free event.

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