Auburn University Theatre & Dance 2023-24 Season

AUBURN UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND DANCE

2023–2024 | 110 th Season

In a New Light

We are more than a melting pot, we are a kaleidoscope, where every turn of history refracts new light on the old promise.

— Barbara Jordan

This academic year marks the 110th season of theatre and dance at Auburn University. Our theme for this season—“In a New Light”—celebrates the ability of performance to view the world from a multitude of perspectives, a kaleidoscope of interlocking experiences. Each production in our season offers an invitation to start or continue a conversation, with us, with you, with our greater communities. Six years ago our season focused on letting in the light and now, after weathering years of pivoting and uncertainty, we look forward to transforming that light in new and exciting ways.

This moment also allows us the opportunity to continue to shine light on and honor the incredible work of our students. As we enter another new season, we remain committed to and focused on that work each and every day. We hold the strong belief that our students, staff, and faculty are some of the hardest

working on campus. And we are eager to share their abundant and transformative light with you.

This academic year also marks a significant transition in the life of the department. After serving six years as chairperson of the Department of Theatre & Dance and artistic director of the production season, Dr. Chase Bringardner returns to the faculty this August and Dr. Tessa Carr assumes these roles. Dr. Carr brings with her new light and new energies and will continue to lead a vibrant department of engaged citizen artists.

We greatly value your support and patronage of our theatre and your continued support of our students and our work. Over the next year, we look forward to welcoming you into our spaces, engaging in conversation, and building community. We are excited by the continued growth of our artistic community, and you all are a vital part of that.

On behalf of the entire faculty, staff, and students of Auburn University Theatre & Dance, we hope you will join us as subscribers this year and share in our efforts to celebrate and honor our students’ work. If you’ve subscribed in the past, please consider renewing; if you’re new, we would love the opportunity to introduce you to our incredibly talented students and our compelling shows. Join us at the theatre!

Chase Bringardner, PhD Immediate Past Chairperson

Tessa Carr, PhD Chairperson

We are a kaleidoscope . . .

Our 2023-24 season theme, “In a New Light,” is inspired by the many shifting perspectives contained in our dramatic offerings. Light not only illuminates the view, but it informs—and even transforms—depending upon whether it is bounced back to the eye (reflection) or bent and changed as it passes through a new medium (refraction). Reflection is an important aspect of theatre’s function; after all, the theatre has held up a mirror to society for centuries. However, refraction is analogous to something perhaps even more significant to theatre’s power... the potential for transformation that reveals new perspectives, sparks empathy, and—hopefully — lights the way for a better world.

These ideas shine brightly in the words of Barbara Jordan, herself a beacon of change and hope as the first Black woman to serve as a Texas State Senator, and the first Black woman elected to congress from the deep South.*

We are more than a melting pot, we are a kaleidoscope, where every turn of history refracts new light on the old promise.

*Source: womenofthehall.org

– Anthony Bourdain

Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.

September 28–October 8, 2023

Barbecue

by Robert O’Hara

Directed

by

Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha

Barbecue had its world premiere at the Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director) in New York, October 8, 2015. The play was directed by Kent Gash. Barbecue was commissioned by Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago (Martha Lavey, Artistic Director; David Hawkanson, Executive Director).

The drinks are chilled. The snacks are set. The grill is sizzling. The O’Mallery family is primed for a barbecue. And yet, this particular barbecue on this particular day in this particular park proves much more than just a pleasant family gathering. Robert O’Hara’s hilarious comedy explores the complexities of family and how those families shape us, while challenging our perceptions of the stories we tell. Pull up a chair and join the intervention!

Barbecue is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by TRW PLAYS, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage Theatre

You can’t create a monster, then whine when it stomps on a few buildings.

– Yeardley Smith

October 26–November 5, 2023

Telfair B. Peet Black Box Theatre

Monstersongs

Book, Music and Lyrics

by Rob Rokicki

Art by David O’Neill

Directed by Ashley Butler | Music Direction by Brian Osborne

Choreography by Jeri Dickey

Written by Rob

Rokicki,

composer of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, this spooky adventure asks audiences to consider things from a new perspective, to get the story behind the scare. Incorporating musical styles from pop and rock to bluegrass and folk, Monstersongs invites you into the monsters’ world to share their space and empathize with their plight. Come spend your Spooky Season with us — unleash your inner monster and explore the humanity that binds us all.

Monstersongs is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

Jump start my kaleidoscope heart, Love to watch the colors fade, They may not make sense, But they sure as hell made me.

“Uncharted”

– Sara Bareilles

November 14-17, 2023

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage Theatre

Fractals: Infinite Movement

Conceived and Directed by Adrienne Wilson and Jeri Dickey

Featuring the Auburn University Dance Ensemble and Guest Artists

F ollowing our 2022-23 season marking the addition of “& Dance” to our department name, join us for a concert celebrating the multifaceted worlds of dance and movement. Auburn professors and choreographers Adrienne Wilson and Jeri Dickey, along with student choreographers and dancers, present a program of work that spans genre and highlights the ability of dance and movement to shine new light in unexpected places.

Original photo at left by Jeff Etheridge, featuring AU alumna and guest artist Jenna Dickey.

The

comet said to portend Untold horrors

And the end of the world

But for me

The comet brings no fear

No, I gaze joyfully.

– Pierre

February 22–March 1, 2024

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage Theatre

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

by Dave Malloy

Adapted from War and Peace by Leo

Tolstoy

Directed by Andrew Schwartz

Music Direction by Brian Osborne | Choreography by Jeri

Dickey

There’s a war going on out there,” and Natasha, Pierre, Anatole, and an entire motley crew of Russians find themselves adrift in the city of Moscow as a comet enters the atmosphere. Pulled from a slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, this Tony Award-winning musical weaves together vivid stories of romance, intrigue, action, betrayal, and existential crisis, all to the tunes of a vibrant electropop score. Dave Malloy’s Great Comet offers audiences a classic tale wrapped in the most modern of packages. Come witness the wonder!

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

Retired people are like nuclear power stations. They like to live by the sea.

– Hazel

A staged reading of

The Children

by Lucy Kirkwood

Directed by Scott Phillips

At an isolated cottage by the sea on the east coast of England, two retired nuclear scientists ponder their future as the world outside begins to unravel around them. Just as they begin to make some progress, an old colleague arrives with a request that dramatically forces them to set aside their routine and reckon with the past. Come enjoy a staged reading of Lucy Kirkwood’s riveting, 2018 Tony Awardnominated play, and engage in lively post-show discussion.

The Children is presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Just because it’s a unique perspective doesn’t mean it can’t offer something universal.

– Lynn Nottage

April 18-21, 2024

An Original Work Devised by AUTD Students and

UNIVERSES Theatre Company

Our final offering this season involves an exciting collaboration between our own Auburn Department of Theatre & Dance students, faculty, and staff and the internationally renowned UNIVERSES Theatre Company. Made possible through the Departmental Award for Excellence in Education, presented to the Department of Theatre & Dance by the Teaching Effectiveness Committee of the University Senate, this original, devised piece will emerge from a five-week intensive residency in March and April of 2024. Come join us in this exciting experiment and share in this new work created by our students for their communities here in Auburn.

Performance Dates

Barbecue

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage

Thurs. Sept. 28 Opening

Fri. Sept. 29

Sun. Oct. 1 Matinee

Wed. Oct. 4

Thurs. Oct. 5

Fri. Oct. 6

Sat. Oct. 7

Sun. Oct. 8 Matinee

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage

Thurs. Feb. 22 Opening

Fri. Feb. 23

Sat. Feb. 24

Sun. Feb. 25 Matinee

Wed. Feb. 28

Thurs. Feb. 29

Fri. Mar. 1

Monstersongs

Evening performances at 7:30 pm

Matinees at 2:30 pm (Central Time)

Fractals:

Telfair B. Peet Black Box

Thurs. Oct. 26 Opening

Fri. Oct. 27

Sun. Oct. 29 Matinee

Wed. Nov. 1

Thurs. Nov. 2

Fri. Nov. 3

Sat. Nov. 4

Sun. Nov. 5 Matinee

The Children

A Staged Reading

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage

Thurs. Mar. 28 Opening

Fri. Mar. 29

Sat. Mar. 30

Talkback after each reading

Free and open to the public.

Infinite Movement

Telfair B. Peet Mainstage

Tues. Nov. 14 Opening

Wed. Nov. 15

Thurs. Nov. 16

Fri. Nov. 17

An Original Work Devised by AUTD Students and UNIVERSES

Theatre Company

Telfair B. Peet Black Box

Thurs. Apr. 18 Opening

Fri. Apr. 19

Sat. Apr. 20

Sun. Apr. 21 Matinee

Talkback Sessions Want to learn more about the show? Join us after the performance for a discussion with performers and the show’s artistic team.

Our Mission

Theatre has the potential to foster dialogue, alter perceptions, and inspire social change.

The Auburn University Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to the education and professional training of theatre artists, scholars, and audiences within a liberal arts environment.

The Department champions the interaction between theory and practice and produces citizen artists who advocate for the arts through their own work in local, national, and international communities.

Auburn University theatre and dance students think critically, creatively, and collaboratively and carry their knowledge from rehearsal spaces and classrooms to stages, campuses, and communities worldwide.

Read on to see how you can help to support our hardworking student citizen artists!

2022-23 Season Moments

1 Ché Echols and Antonisia Collins in Detroit ’67.

2 Patrick Barnett in Twelfth Night. 3 Tapley Cronier, Hali Everette, Nick DiJulio, and Avonlea Yeakley in The Thanksgiving Play. 4 Ella Taylor and Michaela Williams in Pippin. 5 Samantha Briggs in ...And Dance!

6 Jonathon Dickey, Sydney Pereira, Bethany Novotny, and Nikki Ahlf in Edges.

Photo Credits: 1 Jeff Etheridge; 2 Stew Milne; 3 Magalí Zaslabsky; 4, 5, 6 Henry Eiland

Students at Work:

Top, L to R: Presley McQuiddy-Gasparlin and Elle Hartman work in the costume studio. Middle: Daisha Flint helps run rehearsal as an assistant stage manager.

Bottom: Katie Wolfe focuses lighting instruments.

Photo Credit: Magalí Zaslabsky

SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS

Our theatre and dance students depend on scholarships to keep up rigorous academic and creative schedules, and to balance the various aspects of student life. Your gift to our scholarship fund will help support the work and well-being of our student citizen artists.

Use the form below or donate at auburngiving.org/theatre

2023-24 Scholarship Donation Form Department of Theatre and Dance

Name(s): ____________________________________________________________

Address:

City: State: Zip: Email: ______________________________Phone: (______) __________________

YES, I would like to give to the Student Scholarship Fund. I have enclosed my generous gift of:  $50  $100  $250  $500  $___________

Name as you would like it listed in the program: ___________________________________

Make check payable to: Auburn University Foundation

Mail this form with payment to: Department of Theatre & Dance 211 Telfair Peet Theatre

Auburn, Alabama 36849

IMPORTANT:

Checks written for the Student Scholarship Fund must be written separately from checks for season subscription purchases.

QUESTIONS? Contact the Department Office at 334.844.4748

Thank You! Your gift will be considered fully tax deductible!

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS MORE INFO

Your season subscription secures single admission to each of the five ticketed shows in the 2023-24 season, plus TWO ADDITIONAL FREE TICKETS to any show of your choice if ordered by September 28. That’s seven tickets for only $70.00! PLUS, enjoy opening night receptions and our FREE staged reading of The Children.

Use the form below or purchase at theatretickets.auburn.edu

Auburn University Theatre and Dance

2023-24 Season Subscription Order Form

Name(s): ____________________________________________________________

Address: City: State: Zip:

Email: ______________________________Phone: (______) __________________

Total Number of Season Subscriptions: _____ @ $70 per subscription = ____________

Total Amount Enclosed: $ __________

Make check payable to:

Auburn University Theatre and Dance

Mail this form with payment to: Department of Theatre & Dance 211 Telfair Peet Theatre

Auburn, Alabama 36849

Single Tickets

Individual show tickets are on sale now at these prices:

• General Admission: $18

• Seniors: $14

• AU Faculty & Staff: $14

• AU Students: FREE

• Non-AU Students: $14

Purchase & Reserve

Purchase tickets and reserve your seats online at: theatretickets.auburn.edu

Or contact the Box Office: 334.844.4154

theatre@auburn.edu

Parking

IMPORTANT:

Checks written for season subscription purchases must be written separately from checks for Student Scholarship Fund gifts.

QUESTIONS? Contact the Box Office at 334.844.4154

Don’t forget to reserve your seats for each show!

Please see our website for info on parking and transport between parking decks and the theatre.

auburnuniversitytheatre.org

Creative Team

Artistic Director: Chase Bringardner

Creative Director/Designer: Ashley Butler

Production Photographers: Henry Eiland, Jeff Etheridge, Stew Milne, Magalí Zaslabsky

Project Management:

Magalí Zaslabsky

Editorial Team:

Becky Henderson

Laura Sims

Magalí Zaslabsky

Special Thanks

Auburn University Theatre & Dance gratefully acknowledges support for our season from Dr. Vini Nathan and the Office of the Provost of Auburn University.

Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.