Lee’s theater season will feature four performances, starting with “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” on Oct. 11-15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Edna Minor Conn Theatre (EMC).

The adaptation of “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” by Jeffrey Hatcher, retains the main story of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella. However, the playwright has ramped up the intensity of the action with a unique casting device that aids the story’s exploration of the darkness within the human soul.

“Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” is directed by senior theater major Lindsay Hanson.

Hanson said, “Though there is a darker tone to this play than some past Lee productions, the darkness is essential to the plot and structure of this beautifully written tale.”

The release date anticipates Halloween audiences, but due to plot elements involving violence and mature dialogue, the play is recommended for ages 13 and older.

Hanson, who completed an acting program at the New York Film Academy, has acted in multiple plays and short films. She directed a 15-minute excerpt from the play “God of Carnage” for Lee’s Director’s Showcase; the play, “Bridges,” for Lee’s Fringe Fest; and a staged reading of the full length play, “End Days.”

Hanson will graduate in May with a major in theater and a minor in telecommunications.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors and students.

The EMC is located in room 305 of the Vest building.

For more information you may call 423-614-8343, email [email protected], or visit www.leeuniversity.edu/theatre.edu. Fans can also join the Facebook page “Lee University Theatre.”

PHOTO: Jekyll & Hyde cast, left to right: Nathan Tullos (seated), Anthony Harrison, Mary Shelton, Edgardo Leon, Michael Bachman, Lindsay Hanson, Cordero Minnis, Chelsea Pearce, Abby Attia, Anna Siler, and Erynn Robe. Also pictured in rehearsal Freshman Nathan Tullos (at left) playing Jekyll’s lawyer and friend, Utterson, (at right) Senior Dero Vative as Jekyll.