by Mia Lopez | staff writer

After four weeks of rehearsal, Johnson theater has debuted their staging of the “The Sweet Science of Bruising” by Joy Wilkinson. This play explores themes about feminism and domestic abuse as it tells the story of  four women involved in underground boxing fighting to win money and freedom.

“This all takes place in 1870 London, England,” Asterman said.“Underground boxing was a big thing at the time and these women, especially these four women are looking for freedom and their chance to get their independence and the only way they see out is the boxing tournaments to win money for themselves or to win freedom from their situations.”

The black box is more intimate and interactive than the regular auditorium shows.

“In the auditorium we have 750 plus seats out there and the audience usually even from the first row is about 20 feet away from you so on the stage we’re allowed to do a lot bigger things  and really have to convey our emotions and feelings and diction and lines all the way to the back of the auditorium which is pretty big in a black box space here the audience is maybe five…ten feet away from you and the front row here they’re like inches away from you at times,” Asterman said.

This show is fairly new to the theater department and a new experience for everyone. The play does involve sexual themes so audiences need to be aware before attending. The dialogue can rely on innuendo that might be not appropriate for a younger crowd.

“It’s a very interesting story this is a newer script only been published in the last two or three years so it’s a brand new show so that’s always kind of fun to get to work on something brand new,” Asterman said