UMW Theatre Season 2014-15

POWERFUL

DAZZLING PROVOCATIVE

MYSTERIOUS 20I4-I5

2014-1

-15 SEASON Dear Friends, Something remarkable occurs every time the lights dim in Klein Theatre and I am surrounded by patrons who are on the brink of leaving their lives behind for a couple of hours to experience the stories we have to tell. I love the sense of community that live theatre creates and I cherish those moments when the playwrights’ words, the composers’ music, and the collaborative work of our actors, designers, directors, musicians, and technicians lend us a different perspective on what it means to be alive in an increasingly noisy and chaotic world. I find the quiet darkness of the theatre somehow comforting and truly exhilarating.

This season, first you will ponder the nature of truth in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt in an evening of theatre that will be on your mind long after you leave Klein. In November, you will sneak a glimpse into how artists create art in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, a breathtaking musical that will sweep you away to 19th Century Paris and the life of Georges Seurat and the people who love—and envy—him. We open Adam Bock’s provocative The Drunken City in February, where you will find yourselves on the streets of New York City in the midst of a bachelorette party where pre-wedding jitters will leave you deliberating about youth, marriage, and love. We close the season with Oscar Wilde’s iconic Lady Windermere’s Fan, a thrilling romp that may leave you longing to return to your comparatively simple, carefree life.

We have two special events this season to share with you.

First, we are inaugurating our audience seminar, Backstage Pass, a chance for you to learn more about Sunday in the Park with George from the perspective of scholars, directors, and actors. This seven-part series will take you from the idea of the musical all the way through the final rehearsal and performance. Be sure to sign up early because space is limited!

We will also be hosting Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music in Dodd Auditorium on December 6—a fun event for the entire family where you can sing along to the glorious Julie Andrews film in a show that will have lots of audience participation— costumes encouraged!

I hope I have the opportunity to share an evening with you in Klein Theatre in the coming months. We have so much to share with you this season!

Gregg Stull Producing Director

Opposite: Judi Jackson ’15 , Christian Morrow ’15, Kimberlyn Frost ’14, Emily Burke ’15 Cover: Nicholas McGovern ’14, Taryn Snyder ’15, Stephen Nickens ’15, Kathryn Gigantiello ’14

DOUBT

by John Patrick Shanley

SEPT. 25-OCT. 5 “The truth makes for a bad sermon. It tends to be confusing and have no clear conclusion.”

Father Flynn

At the St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx, the Sisters of Charity teach the children under the watchful eye of the omnipresent Sister Aloysius, whose unflinching demeanor keeps everyone on the straight and narrow. When a number of dubious events raise her suspicions, Sister Aloysius wastes no time in cornering Father Flynn, the respected and much-loved parish priest. Doubt is John Patrick Shanley’s powerful and Pulitzer Prize-winning play that plumbs the depths of a powerful he-said, she-said moment of truth.

THU FRI SAT SUN THU FRI SAT SUN

SEPT 25 @ 8pm SEPT 26 @ 8pm SEPT 27 @ 8pm SEPT 28 @ 2pm* OCT 2 @ 8pm OCT 3 @ 8pm OCT 4 @ 2pm & 8pm OCT 5 @ 2pm

*AfterWords

. . . a lean, potent drama . . . passionate, exquisite, important, and engrossing.

—New York Newsday

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim book by James Lapine

Nov. 6-23

“So many possibilities.” George In Stephen Sondheim’s dazzling rendering of George Seurat’s visionary quest to paint A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, life becomes art, art becomes life, and dot-by-dot a luminous masterpiece leaps from canvas to stage. With a mesmerizing book

by James Lapine and a Sondheim score that soars off the page with breathtaking intensity, Sunday in the Park with George is so much more than it seems as George struggles to create a life of consequence amidst lingering doubt, complicated love, and unwavering ideals. One of the most celebrated musicals of all time and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

THU FRI SAT SUN THU FRI SAT SUN THU FRI SAT SUN

NOV 6 @ 8pm NOV 7 @ 8pm NOV 8 @ 8pm NOV 9 @ 2pm* NOV 13 @ 8pm NOV 14 @ 8pm NOV 15 @ 2pm & 8pm NOV 16 @ 2pm NOV 20 @ 8pm NOV 21 @ 8pm NOV 22 @ 2pm & 8pm NOV 23 @ 2pm

*AfterWords

… an audacious, haunting and, in its own intensely personal way, touching work.

—The New York Times

THE DRUNKEN CITY

by Adam Bock

FEB. 12-22 “It’s a huge huge huge huge moment in her life and it’s gonna be awesome and then she gets to start out a whole new life and everything.”

Melissa A case of pre-wedding jitters is hardly a rarity, but bride-to-be Marnie is having a tough time reconciling that, while she loves the man she is about to marry, she is not in love with him. This soon-to-be bride, along with her soon-to-be bridesmaids, hit New York City hard for the bachelorette blowout, and upon meeting Frank and Eddie, the girls are hard-pressed to keep Marnie from making a mistake that could destroy her soon-to-be marriage. Bock’s sweet and provocative comedy explores familiar “Sex and the City” themes chock full of heartache and the oh-so-complex and ever-changing nature of love.

THU FRI SAT SUN THU FRI SAT SUN

Feb 12 @ 8pm Feb 13 @ 8pm Feb 14 @ 8pm Feb 15 @ 2pm* Feb 19 @ 8pm Feb 20 @ 8pm Feb 21 @ 2pm & 8pm Feb 22 @ 2pm

*AfterWords

Tart, smart, and intoxicating.

—The New York Sun

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN

by Oscar Wilde

Apr. 9-19 “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

Lord Darlington At just shy of 21, Lady Windermere has it all— looks, riches, and status in London’s aristocracy.

That is . . . until she discovers that her husband has been secretly wooing a widowed newcomer, the mysterious Mrs. Erlynne. Desperate beyond reason and determined to retaliate against Lord Windermere’s stubborn insistence that Mrs. Erlynne attend her birthday party, Lady Windermere schemes to surrender to sweet Lord Darlington’s flirtatious advances in Oscar Wilde’s comedy of morality, politics, and polite society.

THU FRI SAT SUN THU FRI SAT SUN

Apr 9 @ 8pm Apr 10 @ 8pm Apr 11 @ 8pm Apr 12 @ 2pm* Apr 16 @ 8pm Apr 17 @ 8pm Apr 18 @ 2pm & 8pm Apr 19 @ 2pm

*AfterWords

Immensely pleasurable.

—The Washington Post

STUDIO 115 duPONT HALL studio

Always...Patsy Cline Taryn Snyder ’15,

Learning by doing.

We showcase the boundless creative energies of our student directors, actors, designers, and playwrights throughout the season in our flexible and intimate Studio 115 on the first floor of duPont Hall. One-acts, festivals, full-length plays and musicals, solo performances, scenes, and monologues comprise the rich and diverse array of Studio 115 offerings during the fall, winter, and spring. For more information about Studio 115, call (540) 654-1397.

5 1 1

Dates and times to be announced

SEPT. / OCT.

DOUBT SU

MO

TU

WE

TH

FR

SA

25

26

27

8pm

28

OCT

2pm*

8pm

2

3

8pm

4

8pm

8pm

2pm 8pm

TH

FR

SA

5

2pm

Sunday in the park with George NOVEMBER

SU

MO

TU

WE

6

7

8

8pm

8pm

8pm

9

13

14

15

8pm

2pm 8pm

16

20

21

22

8pm

2pm 8pm

TH

FR

SA

12

13

14

19

20 8pm

21 2pm *

TH

FR

SA

9

10

11

16

17

18

2pm*

8pm

2pm

8pm

23 2pm

THE Drunken City FEBRUARY

SU

MO

TU

WE

8pm

15

2pm*

8pm

8pm

8pm

8pm

22 2pm

LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN APRIL

SU

MO

TU

WE

8pm

12

2pm*

8pm

8pm

8pm

8pm 2pm 8pm

*

19 2pm

* AfterWords post-show discussions Doubt

Sunday

Standard

$18

$24

$12

$18

Student/Senior

$16

$20

$10

$16

Military ID/UMW Alumni

$16

$20

$10

$16

Groups

$14

$16

$8

$14

$8

$10

$5

$8

GCC or UMW ID

Drunken City Windermere

New this season, UMW Theatre brings you E G Backstage Pass, an BACKSTA audience seminar where we invite you to explore through classes, rehearsals, and special events the journey we take to nurture a production from the printed page to a fully-realized theatrical event. This season’s Backstage Pass features Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.

PASS

Made of Flecks of Light—Seurat,

Inspiration, and the Famous Painting September 16 @ 7pm

Joseph Dreiss, professor of art history

Take a closer look at the painting and

how it inspired the musical.

Mapping Out a Sky:

Sondheim and the Music of Sunday September 23 @ 7pm

Christopher Wingert, music director & adjunct professor of theatre

Discover how this gorgeous music tells

the story of two Georges in Sunday.

Our Day Off: Labor, Class, and

Privilege in the Sondheim Musical September 30 @ 7pm Gary Richards, associate professor of English

Learn how Sondheim uses class and status

to create the relationships in Sunday.

Dot by Dot, Putting it Together:

“First Rehearsal” October 7 @ 7pm

Gregg Stull, director & professor of theatre Kevin McCluskey, costume designer & associate professor of theatre Julie Hodge, scenic designer & associate professor of theatre

Explore our production from an artistic idea to the design renderings.

Everything Depends on Preparation—

Inside the Rehearsal Room October 21 @ 7pm Gregg Stull, director & professor of theatre Christopher Wingert, music director & adjunct professor of theatre

Sit in on a rehearsal of

Sunday in the Park with George.

Twinkle and Shimmer and Buzz—

The Sitzprobe October 26 @ 7pm

Gregg Stull, director & professor of theatre Christopher Wingert, music director &

adjunct professor of theatre and the Sunday in the Park with George orchestra

Be there when the cast sings with the

orchestra for the very first time!

Our Perfect Park—

The Invited Dress Rehearsal November 5 @ 7:30pm

Join other invited guests to be the first

audience that experiences Sunday.

BONUS EVENTS

We will invite you to several other events—the first time the cast reads through the script and sings the score, a backstage tour to see the shops in action building the scenery and costumes, and a conversation with the actors.

Registration for Backstage Pass is only $35 per person. This gives you exclusive admission to the seven seminar discussions plus the additional bonus events. Online registration begins August 1. cas.umw.edu/theatre/backstagepass For more information, call Jon Reynolds at 540-654-2233 or email jreynol2@umw.edu.

SPECIAL TWO SHOW Calling all nuns, captains, baronesses, and wanna-be Von Trapps!

Dig out your habits, your lederhosen, your pinafores and uniforms! Now’s your chance to experience The Sound of Music like you never have before!

Get ready to run through the alps, wave your edelweiss, and sing with Julie!

It’s sing along Sound of Music in Dodd Auditorium December 6 at 2pm & 7pm

le a s n o o g s t e k Tic

!

3 R E B M E V O N $20 Adults $15 Children

LWS EVENT! ONLY! Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, Silver white winters that melt into spring, These are a few of my favorite things!

The show starts with an audience warm-up where our host teaches you all the ways to use your interactive funpack to bring the movie to life. Thrill to the costume parade and maybe grab a prize for the best costume!

Then thrill to the movie on the big screen in a night you will never forget and that is sure to leave you singing “Doe a deer, a female deer; Ray, a drop of golden sun,� for days!

FRIENDS OF THEATRE

, Lysistrata

’15 Maggie Wilder

Let's be friends!

While our students love the applause they hear following every performance, your appreciation for their outstanding contributions to our production program doesn’t help them pay their tuition or buy their books and supplies. You can, however, help them with that, too!

A tax-deductible gift to Friends of Theatre helps us help our students through scholarships, classroom supplies, and artist residencies. Your gift makes an extraordinary theatre education at the University of Mary Washington possible for our deserving students.

JOIN TODAY! Membership in Friends of Theatre enables you to: • give scholarships and sponsor special educational activities for theatre students • receive acknowledgement in production programs • receive advance notice of special opportunities and events For more information, and to join online, visit cas.umw.edu/theatre/make-a-gift

TAKE YOUR SEAT!

For just $500, you can name a seat in the beautiful Klein Theatre. Most important, you will be personally responsible for creating amazing opportunities for our students as they discover themselves, the theatre, and the world beyond our campus.

Visit cas.umw.edu/theatre/take-your-seat to learn more.

Back Cover: Stephen Nickens ’15, Kathryn Gigantiello ’14, Emily Burke ’15, Margaret Lewis ’16

Photo credits: Geoff Greene

Parking

There is plenty of free parking along College Avenue and in Lot 28 on Thornton Street.

Two short-term box office parking spaces are available in Lot 28 during box office hours.

Tickets

Tickets are available at the Klein Theatre Box Office in duPont Hall one week before opening. Tickets are also available online through our website. Handling fees apply to telephone and online purchases.

Student projects in Studio 115 are free.

Groups

Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

AfterWords

AfterWords discussions follow select performances.

Information

For more information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit cas.umw.edu/theatre Season subject to change.

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible seating is available. Please inquire when purchasing tickets. Accessible parking is available in Lot 28 and in the rear of duPont Hall.

Assistive listening devices are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis at the Klein Theatre Box Office.

We are eager to help you plan your visit. For more information on accessibility or parking, please call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

THE FINE PRINT

Location

Klein Theatre is located in duPont Hall on College Avenue at Thornton Street.

Join us for our 2014-15 Season!

1301 College Avenue Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 227 Fredericksburg, VA