Be present for UVa’s ‘Day of Absence’

A one-act satire opening Thursday in the University of Virginia’s Helms Theatre asks what would happen if townspeople awoke one morning to find that all the black residents had disappeared.

Douglas Turner Ward’s 1965 play “Day of Absence,’’ directed by Theresa M. Davis, will be presented by the UVa Department of Drama starting 8 p.m. Thursday.

The cast’s African-American actors will wear whiteface to play Caucasian characters in the reverse minstrel style the playwright intended. Together, they will offer an intriguing look at American race relations that takes on an added resonance during the election season.

The play examines what happens on a long day in a fictional Southern town when the black residents suddenly aren’t there. The local economy comes to a standstill as businesses and households can’t function. But when everyone is back the next day as if nothing had happened, it remains to be seen whether life has returned to normal — or not.

Performances will continue at 8 p.m. Oct. 24, 25, 28, 29, 30 and 31 and Nov. 1.Parking is free in the nearby Culbreth Road Parking Garage.

Tickets are $14, $12 for seniors and UVa faculty, staff and alumni association members and $8 for students. Get them at the box office between 1 and 5 p.m. weekdays or call 924-3376.

Plan ahead for upcoming UVa productions:

l Nov. 20: “Oklahoma!’’

l Feb. 12, 2009: “The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer.’’

l March 19: “Fuddy Meers.’’

l April 16: “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.’’