UMW Theatre Season Brochure 2018-19

2018-19

SEASON

JOIN US AND BE . . .

AMAZED.

INSPIRED.

MOVED.

CHANGED.

Olivia Whicheloe ’19 as Cassandra in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Cover: Lauren Frautschi ’18 as Masha in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

“

There have been so many opportunities opened to us because of UMW Theatre. It’s just been so much fun. It has enhanced our lives.”

–Kay McKinney, UMW Theatre Patron

YOU PLAY

THE MOST

IMPORTANT

ROLE

OF ALL.

When you take your seat in Klein Theatre, you join us for some of life’s most important conversations. As we sit in the theatre and experience the unimaginable joy and inconceivable sorrow that are part and parcel of what it means to navigate the world in which we live, we also come to understand profound truths about what it means to be different, the struggle to overcome adversity, and the rewards of nurturing relationships and building community.

When you join us for a performance, you become a part of helping our students discover themselves as they grow and emerge as theatre artists and citizens of our complex world. You play one of the most important roles of all—supporting our students in the audience as they learn and mature in their quest to become the people they want to be on our stage, behind the scenes, and in our shops and offices.

Without you in our seats, we could not do what we do.

We are grateful that you grow your relationship with UMW Theatre with every production you experience.

Our mission is to tell the stories of the world and, in so doing, create opportunities for our students

to become theatre artists who will make a difference in the world. We want them to connect the dots between the variety of classes they take each semester across our beautiful campus and understand, ultimately, that they have a responsibility to grapple with the issues that challenge our society. We hope our work will give them insight, strength, courage, and empathy. When you join us in Klein Theatre, you are a vital part of crafting the future of our students.

I am very excited about the season ahead. There are so many opportunities for you to gather with your friends and family and experience the life-affirming joy of attending the theatre.

You too can connect the dots by experiencing our extraordinary productions in Klein Theatre, our UMW Theatre Road Trips to professional theatres, our insightful and engaging Backstage Pass series, and our AfterWords discussions with our actors.

Won’t you take some time this year to share some moments in Klein Theatre with the people that you care about? Bring along a friend or loved one who has not yet experienced UMW Theatre . . . I know your time with us will enrich the relationships you share with those you love as you ponder the great questions of life long after you leave our theatre.

Please let me know if there is anything we can do to make your time with us everything you want it to be. We would love to hear from you.

Gregg Stull Producing Director

“Extraordinary . . . compelling . . . a remarkable piece of writing.”

– The New York Times

THE AMISH PROJECT

by Jessica Dickey

Actors take the stage to inhabit the lives of the Pennsylvania Amish community brought to its knees by unimaginable tragedy. In October of 2006, a shooter entered a one-room schoolhouse in the Old Order Amish community and took aim, leaving five young girls dead and five injured before he turned the gun on himself.

Playwright Jessica Dickey’s fictional story exploring the aftermath of this real-life event explores the unthinkable concept of forgiveness in the face of a senseless and violent act. Standing on either side of the oft-blurred lines between fact and fiction, The Amish Project is a hauntingly elegant and timely study of compassion and its rightful place in today’s changing world.

September 20-30 Pay-What-You-Can Preview September 19 Box Office Opens SEPTEMBER 6

“Hugely witty, tunefully inventive and brightly entertaining.”

–The Telegraph

MERRILY WE

ROLL ALONG

MUSIC & LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM BOOK BY GEORGE FURTH

Growing up. There is nothing more certain.

For Frank, Charlie, and Mary, their lives are all ahead of them—or rather, behind them—in this cleverly conceived musical

by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth.

Merrily We Roll Along masterfully reveals, in reverse, the relationships of three best friends and their successes in life, love, friendship, and all the little bumps along the way. With songs like the gorgeously heartbreaking “Not a Day Goes By,” the sassily uplifting, “Old Friends,” and the exquisitely lyrical “Good Thing Going,” Merrily is sheer brilliance as it connects the rocky terrain between the characters’ disillusioned adulthoods to their hopeful, starry-eyed youthful beginnings.

NOVEMBER 1-18

Pay-What-You-Can Preview October 31 Box Office Opens October 18

“. . . ferociously funny . . . . terrifically potent with lip-smacking gusto . . .”

– The Wall Street Journal

GOD OF

CARNAGE

by YASMINA REZA

Two children from upper middle-class Brooklyn families get into a schoolyard tussle and their parents meet one evening to discuss the incident. While the evening begins with polite pleasantries and careful chit chat, it veers suddenly off course in a rum-fueled fishtail of epic proportions as the adults, themselves, devolve into bickering children. Yasmina Reza hilariously and savagely strips her characters down to their cores, giving them the green light to drop the niceties and take off the proverbial gloves.

God of Carnage is a comic masterpiece born of red-hot tempers, the best of intentions, and humanity at its most primal.

FEBRUARY 14-24

Pay-What-You-Can Preview February 13 Box Office Opens January 31

“. . . alluring both to the eye and to the ear.”

– The Manchester Review

The

COUNTRY WIFE

by William Wycherly

Infamous schemer and lascivious playboy Harry Horner seems no longer a threat to the marriages of London as word of his impotence spreads throughout society. Having instigated the rumor himself, however, Horner mischievously embarks on a plan to seduce the wives and daughters of the city’s most influential businessmen knowing full well that nary a man in London would suspect his ribald intentions. When the sweet, innocent, and honest Margery Pinchwife becomes smitten with him, Horner ’s charades take an unforeseen tumble. The Country Wife is the quintessential Restoration comedy laced with extraordinary wit, saucy innuendo, and bawdy intrigue.

APRIL 11-20

Pay-What-You-Can Preview April 10 Box Office Opens March 28

LEARNING BY DOING “

I can say, without exaggeration, that the work I did in Studio 115 shaped me into the person I am today.”

–Jamie Broadhead ’18

Our talented students learn by doing in Studio 115 on the first floor of duPont Hall where directors, actors, designers, and playwrights sharpen their skills in one-acts, full-length plays, solo performances, scenes, and monologues. You will find yourself swept away by the energy and variety of these performances in this intimate space that puts you only a few feet away from the action.

Follow us for more information & events!

@UMWSTudio115

DATES & TIMES TO BE ANNOUNCED.

SEPTEMBER

19 26

GOD OF

CARNAGE

–Carolyn Eldred, UMW Theatre Patron

OCT. / NOV.

27

28

29

30

FR

SA

14

1

15

2

3

SU

4

7:30 pm

2 pm*

9

10

11

7:30 pm

2 pm 7:30 pm

16

17

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

2 pm 7:30 pm

WE

TH

FR

SA

14

2 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

13

TU

2 pm*

TH 7:30 pm

23

7:30 pm

WE

8

TU

22

SU

7:30 pm

2 pm 7:30 pm

7:30 pm

MO

21

SA

7:30 pm

15

16

2 pm

18 2 pm

SU

17

7:30 pm†

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

2 pm*

20

21

22

23

* 24

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

2 pm 7:30 pm

WE

TH

FR

SA

10

7:30 pm†

17

7:30 pm

The performances at Klein Theatre are so professional–the acting, staging, sets, costumes . . .”

20

7:30 pm

FR

7:30 pm

31

MO

THE COUNTRY WIFE

TU

TH

7:30 pm

7:30 pm†

FEBRUARY

ROLL ALONG

WE 7:30 pm†

MO

MERRILY WE

TU

APRIL

SEASON CALENDAR

“

THE AMISH PROJECT

MO

11

7:30 pm

18

7:30 pm

12

13

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

19

20

7:30 pm

2 pm

SU

14

2 pm*

2 pm 7:30 pm

*AfterWords †

Post-Performance Discussion Pay-What-You-Can Preview Amish Project Merrily . . .

God of Carnage Country Wife

Standard

$20

$25

$20

$20

Student/Senior

$16

$20

$16

$16

Military ID/UMW Alumni

$16

$20

$16

$16

Groups

$15

$18

$15

$15

$8

$10

$8

$8

GCC or UMW ID

“

Thank you for bringing creative, innovative theatre to Fredericksburg. Thank you also for making the group ticket process so efficient and well organized.” –Karen Johnson, Group Leader

BRING A

GROUP Alexander Rios ’18 as Creon in Medea

Bring a Group to Klein Theatre!

Gather your friends and colleagues for a memorable performance in Klein Theatre. Our productions offer perfect and affordable opportunities to celebrate a special occasion, escape for a night out, or just get together with the favorite people in your life. We work with all kinds of groups to create a special experience—businesses, social and civic clubs, faith gatherings, student organizations, fraternities, sororities, and alumni chapters. Our personal touch makes creating a group experience convenient and effortless.

The Urchins in Little Shop of Horrors Gathering a Group is Easy!

If you have 10 or more people, you are a group! This entitles you to early booking, discounted tickets, and flexible payment terms.

Booking Tickets is Simple!

Our Group Sales staff will work closely with you to reserve your tickets before they go on sale to the public—ensuring you great seats as well as availability for performances that sell out quickly.

Ian Nace ’18 & Ashleigh DiBenedetto ’21 Dead Man’s Cell Phone

“

UMW Theatre taught me how to see the bigger picture, break that down, and create it.” —Lauren Mort ’18

We will work with you to establish a date for you to commit to a final number of tickets and pay for them. Our flexible approach makes it easy for you to bring your group to the theatre.

Get in Touch!

For more information about Group Sales, email groups@fredtix.com or call (540) 654-1243.

We would love to help you plan a theatre event for your group!

Backstage Pass is a unique opportunity to join us as we create a production from start to finish. Participants enjoy stimulating faculty conversations, get an inside look at what happens in the rehearsal room, explore our shops (where no one else gets to go!), and learn everything it takes to create a performance from the printed page. This season, Backstage Pass explores William Wycherley’s quintessential Restoration comedy, The Country Wife. We hope you will invite a friend or two to take this remarkable journey with us!

Honor, Sex, & Scandal– The Truths Behind Wycherley’s Comedy

February 20 @ 7 pm

Marie McAlister, professor of English

Discover how this delightful bawdy comedy helped inaugurate one of the greatest periods of English drama, entertained a king, led to a puritanical crackdown— and got audiences thinking about issues that are still relevant today.

Inside the Rehearsal Room Fashion of the Restoration– Freedom & Exuberance March 11 & 12 under Charles II cast and crew of The Country Wife Sit in on a rehearsal of The Country W i fe a n d o b s e r ve t h e d i re c t o r, actors, and stage managers in action.

Lush & Lascivious– The Wit & Brilliance of Wycherley’s Words

March 13 @ 7 pm

Helen Housley, director and professor of theatre

Period, Manners, & Style– The Emergence of Comedy Delve into the mannered language of in the Restoration The Country Wife and you will find hiding

February 27 @ 7 pm Helen Housley, director and professor of theatre

Step into the remarkable period following the Puritan suppression when English theatres reopened with plays rife with sexual innuendo, raucous blundering, and eyebrow-raising exploits.

“

I love talking with our Backstage Pass patrons. It’s so great getting to know them during rehearsals.”

–Olivia Whicheloe ’19

March 20 @ 7 pm

Kevin McCluskey, costume designer and associate professor of theatre

In reaction to the drab clothing favored under Oliver Cromwell, King Charles II ushered in an era of fashion most notable for its excess in ornamentation, accessories, color, and style—all which contribute to the characters and plays of the period.

a rich moral code that reveals sexual duplicity, tension between the aristocracy and the serving class, and more doubleentendres than seem possible in one play.

“

For me, it’s a fun opportunity to see things I otherwise wouldn’t see.”

–Myron Hasselquist, Backstage Passer

The First Rehearsal

March 27 @ 7 pm

Helen Housley, director and professor of theatre Michael Benson, scenic designer and assistant professor of theatre Kevin McCluskey, costume designer and associate professor of theatre Melanie Wisner, student lighting designer

Preview Performance

April 10 @ 7:30 pm

Join our preview audience and be the first to experience The Country Wife at UMW!

Wrap-Up Conversation

April 24 @ 7 pm

Helen Housley, director and

professor of theatre Explore the world of The Countr y Wife as imagined by the artistic team. Gather with the director and cast after The Countr y Wife closes to Costume Shop & talk about the production and your Scene Shop Tours experience with Backstage Pass.

April 1, 2, & 3

See the costumes being made and the scenery being contructed and painted in our shops.

Technical Rehearsals

April 6 & 7 @ 2 PM, 3 PM, or 4 PM Spend some time in a technical rehearsal where, after weeks of working apart, the director, designers, actors, and technicians come together to create the world of The Country Wife.

REGISTER TODAY! Registration for Backstage Pass is only $80 per person.

This gives you exclusive admission to ten sessions where you will become a part of what we do.

Online registration is now open.

F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n , call Jon Reynolds at (540) 654-2233 or email jreynol2@umw.edu

www.FredTix.com/BackstagePass

NEW YORK CITY Take a chance on the trip of a lifetime!

Our lucky winner receives

MAY 17-19, 2019

RAFFLE $3 a Chance

2 Chances for $5 5 Chances for $10

two round trip Amtrak tickets from Fredericksburg to NewYork

All proceeds support UMW Theatre students.

two nights in the glorious Times Square Marriott Marquis

The winning ticket will be drawn April 22, 2019. Winner does not need to be present to win.

dinner at the celebrated Italian favorite , Carmine’s

Take a chance (or two or three or four) TODAY!

two tickets to see the Broadway blockbuster hit, Hamilton post-show desser t at the legendary Junior’s inTimes Square

Raffle Tickets are on sale now at www.FredTix.com/Hamilton and in the Klein Theatre lobby during performances.

DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR SHOT!

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS by William shakespeare OCTOBER 28 @ 2 PM Shakespeare Theatre Company at the lansburgh

Join us this season for UMW Theatre Road Trip and experience exceptional performances in Washington, DC, a world class theatre city. We make it easy for you! Park your car at duPont Hall and board our charter bus where a faculty host will talk with you about the production you are about to experience as you travel to the city. The bus will drop you at the front door of the theatre and will return to pick you up.

On the way home, your host will lead you and your fellow theatregoers in a post-performance discussion about the show. Join us—going to the theatre in Washington could not be easier!

WE TAKE CARE

Two sets of twins, each with the same name—what could go wrong? Everything, apparently. Leave logic behind and delight in the confusion of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, where servants misplace their masters, wives overlook their husbands, and sons forget their fathers.The blunders double, triple, and cube until chaos reigns—and everyone is pretty sure that everyone else is completely insane. $80

ANYTHING GOES music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse & Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman

DECEMBER 2 @ 2 PM - ARENA STAGE

The SS American has set sail from NY to London. Aboard, the lovelorn Billy has stowed away on a mission to stop the marriage of his mystery muse, countess Hope Harcourt, to the millionaire Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.

Now, it is up to Billy with the help of showgirls, sailors, and public enemy #13, to find, woo, and win back his true love. Unlikely alliances arise as mischief and mayhem ensue in this madcap musical by beloved composer and Tony Award winner, Cole Porter. $80

OF EVERYTHING! TWELVE ANGRY MEN No driving. No parking.

FEBRUARY 10 @ 2 PM - FORD’S THEATRE No headaches!

by Reginald Rose

“

The play selections are outstanding and the discussions make the experience more meaningful.”

–Bob & Carole Hanus, Road Trippers

Behind closed doors, tensions run high as a lone juror argues the innocence of a teenager accused of murder.

In this provocatively resonant American drama, 12 jurors from all strata of society revisit the evidence, debate the issue of reasonable doubt and confront each other's personal biases. Broadway director Sheldon Epps ignites a conversation about how prejudice can shape the quest for justice. $80

Seating is limited. Reserve your seats today! www.FredTix.com/RoadTrip Questions? Call (540) 654-1243.

Background image: Arena Stage

“

Every professor pushes you to be more hard working, more professional, more vulnerable, more and more and more . . . they challenge you and push you to be better than you imagined you could be.” —Ian Nace ’18

FRIENDS OF

THEATRE

Neal Gallini-Burdick ’19 & Lily Olson ’18 in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Let's be friends!

When you join us for a performance, you are a part of our students’ educational journeys.

Without an audience in the theatre, they cannot have the conversation that our plays and musicals inspire.You play an important role in helping them to develop as young theatre artists.

Producing theatre and creating learning opportunities are costly endeavors. We want to do everything we can to bring in guest artists to help our students gain new perspectives and network in the professional world. We want to support them when they have a chance to go to a national conference or to audition for summer theatre. We want to be sure we can help them produce plays in Studio 115 where they grow in the skills and knowledge they get in our classrooms and studios.

Many of our students struggle to make ends meet with tuition, room and board, books, and supplies. We want, more than anything else, our students to be fully focused on their work in order to be the strongest they can be when they leave UMW. This is critical in order for them to be competitive when they seek their first job after graduation.

We are committed to doing everything we can to support our students. We hope you will partner with us to provide what our students need to succeed at UMW. Won’t you consider joining Friends of Theatre and supporting our talented students?

Join today!

Membership in Friends of Theatre enables you to: • give scholarships and sponsor unique 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

Elissa Davis ’21 as the Nurse in Medea

“

UMW Theatre has had a major impact on my life and the choices I’ve made. It has inspired me to be the best I can be not only through my own actions, but in the many ways that I can influence others and contribute to this community.” —Elissa Davis ’21

“

Through learning new skills, getting opportunities to meet professionals, and building my experiences, I’ve grown to cherish and really build my passion for theatre. If it weren’t for going to school at UMW, I never would have found this incredible path.”

Audrey Two (operated by Javon Jones ’20) in Little Shop of Horrors

–Alexander Rios ’18

The Fine Print Location

Backstage Pass

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

Join us for a series of lectures and VIP experiences that will give you an insider’s look at the work we do with our students.Visit rehearsals, get a tour of the backstage spaces, learn about all the hard work it takes to get a show from choosing a title to opening night, and much, much more!

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.

UMW Theatre Road Trip

Tickets

Hop on the bus for an onboard conversation led by our faculty prior to seeing a professional theatre production in one of Washington’s extraordinary theatres.

Tickets are available at the Klein Theatre Box Office in duPont Hall starting two weeks before opening. Tickets are also available online through our website, www.FredTix.com and by calling (540) 654-1111. Handling fees apply to telephone orders and convenience fees apply to online purchases. Student projects in Studio 115 are free.

Information

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

Accessibility

Groups

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

Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information, call the Director of Group Sales at (540) 654-1243 or email groups@fredtix.com.

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

AfterWords

AfterWords post-show discussions allow you the opportunity to speak to the actors and ask questions about the process of mounting a production. Be sure to stick around to hear from our students about their experiences working on a show with us!

Pay-What-You-Can Preview

Our preview performance is Pay-What-YouCan. Simply go to the Klein Theatre Box Office two hours before curtain and pay whatever amount you wish for your general admission ticket. Arrive early to guarantee your seat in the theatre!

Photography by Geoff Greene, Jon K. Reynolds, and Taryn Snyder

Large print programs are available 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.

UMW Theatre has taught me is that it’s possible. I am confident that I’ll find work in the theatre when I graduate.” — Jess Elkins ’20

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

1301 College Avenue Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300

Address Service Requested

“

At UMW Theatre, I am encouraged to ask questions throughout rehearsal as I learn what it means to do this work after graduation. I am treated with incredible kindness and respect as the faculty pushes me to be the best I can be. With every role, I grow as an actor and as a person.” —Lydia Hundley ’20

FOLLOW US! @UMWTHEATRE

Lydia Hundley ’20 as the title role in Medea