UMW Theatre 2019-2020 Season

2019-20

SEASON JOIN US AND BE . . .

TICKLED.

BRAVE.

MOTIVATED.

JOYFUL.

Elissa Davis ’21 as Sherry in The Amish Project Cover: Maddie Neilson ’21 as Velda in The Amish Project

“

“

I appreciate all that UMW Theatre has done for me to grow as an actor and a person.

The many opportunities I’ve had would never have been possible without the dedication and belief the department has had in me. I am so grateful to be a part of such a community.” —Elissa Davis ’21

YOU ARE

AN ESSENTIAL PART OF WHAT

Makes OUR

WORK

POSSIBLE. Making theatre is some of the most important work of our world. We create a space to have challenging conversations with ourselves, with our audience, and with the community beyond the walls in which we work. We also celebrate the joy of being alive and revel in the moments where we can laugh at ourselves and the incongruities of life’s adventure. We need that space to understand each other, to sustain a diversity of voices that are essential to civil discourse, and to strengthen the communities in which we live.

Most important at UMW Theatre is our work with students. Whether helping them to create characters on the stage, teaching them how to pattern clothing in the costume shop, guiding them to hang lighting instruments from a designer’s plot, showing them how to read a working drawing in the scene shop, or coaching them in the box office to have engaging

conversations with our patrons, we are devoted to using theatre to help our students discover themselves in the work that we do. One of the most compelling reasons to join us in Klein Theatre (and for UMW Theatre Road Trip and Backstage Pass) is to get to know our students and to watch them grow over the four years they work in our shops, studios, offices, and theatres. You help them to find themselves, to grow, to realize their potential while they are with us. Having an audience for our work continues the conversation that is crucial to our success.

We have an extraordinary year ahead. Mark your calendar. Make some calls and invite your friends and family to come along with you this season. We would love for you to share your UMW Theatre experience with the people in your life you care most about.

Your partnership with UMW Theatre is vital to our work. I look forward to greeting you this season as we work together to shape our students’ futures.

Gregg Stull Producing Director

The Complete works of Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]

by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield A company of actors storms the stage and takes on the Bard of Avon—37 plays and 154 sonnets—in a 97-minute madcap romp through the entire canon (but not the one you studied in English class). Fasten your seatbelts and hang on for dear life as you take one of the wildest and goofiest rides in the theatre. The Bard may be rolling in his grave, but you’ll be rolling in the aisles for The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) [revised].

“If you like Shakespeare, you’ll like this show.

If you hate Shakespeare, you’ll love this show!”

—The Today Show

September 19-29 Pay-What-You-Can Preview September 18 Box Office Opens SEPTEMBER 5 AFterWords SEPTEMBER 22

FUN HOME

MUSIC BY Jeanine Tesori BOOK & Lyrics BY LISA Kron Based on the Graphic Memoir

by Alison Bechdel

The journey to adulthood is a road of peaks and valleys. All of us share the experience of what it means to grow up in an uncertain world, to search and stumble along the path, and to forge our way to a meaningful future.

In a refreshingly honest, gorgeously conceived, and exceptionally innovative musical based on Alison Bechdel’s heartbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home reminds us of the life-affirming joy that comes from facing our fears to become the person we were meant to be. “ . . . dazzling musical . . . a wonderfully funny, mischievous account of family life and a touching memoir about growing up.”

—Financial Times

NOVEMBER 7-24

Pay-What-You-Can Preview November 6 Box Office Opens October 24 AFterWords November 10

Ordinary Days

Music & Lyrics by ADAM GWON

Four young New Yorkers navigate the chaos of being alive in the city that never sleeps, in a world that is eternally shifting. While seemingly unconnected, their paths become entwined in the most unexpected of ways and at the most unlikely of moments. This simple, sweet musical by one of today’s most impressive musical theatre talents, Adam Gwon, reminds us that remarkable lives grow from weeks, months, and years of quite Ordinary Days. “. . . a sad-sweet comment on the anonymity of life in the city, where it is possible to change other people’s fates without actually getting to meet them.”

—The New York Times

FEBRUARY 13-23

Pay-What-You-Can Preview February 12 Box Office Opens January 30 AFterWords February 16

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

by William SHAKESPEARE

Beatrice and Benedick are meant for each other. Trouble is, they don’t see it that way.

In one of Shakespeare’s wittiest and most romantic of comedies, mistaken identities, misdirected insults, devious fakery, and bumbling antics prove no match for the effervescent power of love. Will calculated swooning and conniving mischief succeed to find Beatrice and Benedick falling madly for each other, or will it all simply amount to Much Ado About Nothing? “. . . full of love and laughter, will both delight and entertain you.”

—TheatreMania

APRIL 9-19

Pay-What-You-Can Preview April 8 Box Office Opens March 26 AFterWords April 19

LEARNING “BY DOING My entire life I’ve always been really affected by music and theatre and all forms of art. I want to create something that affects people as much as things have affected me.”

—Ben Lechtman ’21, Studio 115 Chair

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

18

TU

WE

NOVEMBER

6

7:30 pm†

19

7:30 pm

WE

12

7:30 pm†

TU

WE

8

7:30 pm†

—David Hensley, UMW Theatre Patron

22

7:30 pm

2 pm*

28

29

TH

FR

SA

SU

7

7:30 pm

27

8

7:30 pm

15

7:30 pm

10

7:30 pm

2 pm*

16

17

7:30 pm

2 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

23

24

TH

FR

SA

SU

13

22

9

2 pm

7:30 pm

14

15

2 pm

16

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

2 pm*

20

21

22

* 23 SU

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

TH

FR

SA

9

7:30 pm

16

7:30 pm

The students do an amazing job and give local residents the chance to see plays we would normally have to go to larger cities for.”

21

SU

7:30 pm

21

TU

20

7:30 pm

SA

7:30 pm

14

MO

FR

7:30 pm

7:30 pm

MO

Much Ado About Nothing

TH

26

FEBRUARY

Ordinary Days

WE 7:30 pm†

MO

FUN HOME

TU

APRIL

SEASON CALENDAR

“

The Complete Works of ShakesPEARE (abridged) [revised]

MO

10

7:30 pm

17

7:30 pm

2 pm

11

7:30 pm

18

7:30 pm

19

2 pm*

*AfterWords †

Post-Performance Discussion Pay-What-You-Can Preview Shakespeare

Fun Home

Ordinary Days

Much Ado...

Standard

$20

$25

$25

$20

Student/Senior

$16

$20

$20

$16

Military ID/UMW Alumni

$16

$20

$20

$16

Groups

$15

$18

$18

$15

$8

$10

$10

$8

GCC or UMW ID

“

Our group always enjoys the plays, and we are amazed by the acting and scenery. What a treat to have Klein Theatre and the UMW Theatre students in our city!” —Pat Fatovic, Group Leader

BRING A

GROUP

Tommy Kelleher ’21 & Victoria Fortune ’20 as The Fidgets in The Country Wife

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 cast of God of Carnage 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.

“

Abe Shaikh ’19 as Charley in Merrily We Roll Along The most significant lesson I have learned at UMW (and am learning every day) is what it means to be a professional—to show up on time, to be prepared, and most importantly, to be present. The opportunities I have had with UMW Theatre have helped me to grow in so many ways.”—Abe Shaikh ’19

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 the gorgeously lyrical and entirely heart-wrenching Fun Home. We hope you will invite a friend or two to take this remarkable journey with us!

Reading Alison Bechdel’s Graphic Memoir Fun Home

September 25 @ 7 pm Maya Mathur, professor of English Kate Haffey, associate professor of English Gary Richards, professor of English Zach Whalen, associate professor of English

Our colleagues in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication will offer insights from their professional perspectives on the significance of the source text for the musical.

The Musical Fun Home and Its Literary and Social Contexts

October 2 @ 7 pm

Gary Richards, professor of English

Explore how the musical, based on a memoir saturated with literary allusions, also simultaneously negotiates a place within the contemporary musical, the evolution of LGBT+ civil rights, and the history of female artists.

“

I love the opportunity that Backstage Pass gives me to interact with patrons and tell them about my process.”

—Maddie Petroskey ’20

The Music of Fun Home— Inside the Rehearsal Room October 17 & 18 Notes of Growing Up, cast and crew of Fun Home Discovery, & Breaking Free

October 9 @ 7 pm

Chris Wingert, adjunct professor of musical theatre

From the hopeful imaginings in the melodies of childhood joy to the contemplative darkness of truth in the musical phrases of young adulthood, you will understand the genius of composer Jeanine Tesori through the brilliant score of this remarkable musical.

The First Rehearsal

Sit in on a rehearsal and observe the director, music director, choreographer, actors, and stage managers in action.

Costume Shop & Scene Shop Tours

October 21 & 22 2 pm, 3 pm, or 4 pm

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

October 16 @ 7 pm Gregg Stull, director and professor of theatre Samantha Reynolds, choreographer Bridgette Dennett, scene designer and assistant professor of theatre Kevin McCluskey, costume designer and associate professor of theatre

Explore the world of Fun Home as imagined by the artistic team.

“

Backstage Pass is a pleasure and a continuing education. It has made this alum feel very happily reconnected to UMW.” —Sharon Minniear, Backstage Passer

The Sitzprobe

Preview Performance

October 27 @ 7 pm

November 6 @ 7:30 pm

Join the music director, actors, and orchestra as they work together for the first time in the Sitzprobe – German for seated rehearsal – one of the most exhilarating moments in the rehearsal process.You will observe how the music director integrates these two groups of artists in anticipation of moving to the theatre for technical rehearsals.

Join our preview audience and be the first to experience Fun Home at UMW!

Wrap-Up Conversation

December 4 @ 7 pm Gregg Stull, director and professor of theatre

Gather with the director and cast after Fun Home closes to talk about the production and your experience with Backstage Pass.

Technical Rehearsals

November 2 & 3 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 Fun Home.

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.

For more information, call Jon Reynolds at (540) 654-2233 or email jreynol2@umw.edu

www.FredTix.com/BackstagePass

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!

The Folger Theatre

Ford’s Theatre

“

An easy and stress-free opportunity to see amazing productions we might not see otherwise!”

—Marla & Dane Snyder, Road Trippers

The Kennedy Center Background image: Studio Theatre

DOUBT

by JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY • OCTOBER 6 @ 2 PM • STudio Theatre The Bronx, 1964. Suspicions surface at a parochial school about a charismatic young priest’s interest in a Catholic school’s first and only black student. Absent hard proof, Sister Aloysius, the school’s starched and self-assured principal, tries to protect the innocent—but is she doing God’s work, or is her certitude actually pride? Doubt is a theatrical masterpiece about faith, ambiguity, and the price of moral conviction. $80

AMADEUS

by Peter Shaffer • DECEMBER 8 @ 2 PM • Folger Theatre Professional jealousy and personal crisis drive composer Antonio Salieri to turn from God toward one clear, dark, and menacing goal: destroying the brash young newcomer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A highly fictionalized account of Mozart’s final years and Salieri’s jealous pursuit to ruin one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, Amadeus is equal parts psychological thriller, insightful biography, and morality tale. $80

Guys and Dolls

by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, & Abe Burrows • March 15 @ 2 PM • FORD’S THEATRE In this beloved 1950s musical comedy, dice-slinging gamblers, pious missionaries, and glamorous showgirls come together for a light-hearted romp through New York. It’s a high stakes game of love as brazen and charming Nathan Detroit bets Sky Masterson $1,000 to woo missionary Sarah Brown. Meanwhile, cabaret singer Adelaide tries to convince Nathan, her fiancé of 14 years, to finally tie the knot. A classic musical, Guys and Dolls features the showstoppers “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Take Back Your Mink,” and others. $80

SHEAR MADNESS

By Paul Pörtner • MaY 17 @ 3 PM • The Kennedy CenteR This unique whodunit takes place in the Shear Madness hairstyling salon and is chock-full of up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor driven by some of the zaniest characters you will ever meet. During the course of the play, a murder is committed and the audience gets to spot the clues, question the suspects, and solve the funniest mystery in the annals of crime. The outcome is never the same in this long-running, laugh till you hurt blockbuster comedy. We will arrive at the Kennedy Center with time for you to grab lunch at the KC Café or eat the lunch you bring on the terrace overlooking the Potomac. $80

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

Olivia Whicheloe ’20, Neal Gallini-Burdick ’19 & Abe Shaikh ’19 in Merrily We Roll Along

FRIENDS OF

THEATRE

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 bring in guest artists to help our students gain new perspectives and network in the professional world.

We support them when they have a chance to go to a national conference or to audition for summer theatre. We help them produce plays in Studio 115, where they grow in the skills and knowledge they get in our classrooms.

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 to be the strongest they can be when they leave UMW. This is critical 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

Claire Smallwood ’19 as Lucy in The Country Wife

“

I got to go to England last summer for a theatre program and the Ideas in Performance trip last spring, which was an incredible opportunity. I got to meet Sara Bareilles after seeing Waitress. It was fantastic, and I know that wouldn’t have been possible without our donors.” —Claire Smallwood ’19

“

I have learned to trust my instincts and be open to what I can accomplish as an actor. My confidence has risen incredibly, and that is because the department is dedicated to helping me grow. Theatre is a learning experience; I always walk away from a production knowing more about myself and the world around me.”

—Lydia Hundley ’20

The cast of God of Carnage

The Fine Print Location

Backstage Pass

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

Join us for 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

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

Tickets

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 orders. 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

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

Groups

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 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!

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.

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

I do theatre because it’s a place where you can bring so many different mediums of art into one culmination of things, and theatre always pushes boundaries.” —Sam Shahinian ’22

1301 College Avenue Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300

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“

My time at Mary Washington has been a life-changing four years. I started as an 18-year-old with no idea of what to do with my life, and graduated in May totally sure of the path I should take and the skills to make that dream a reality. Theatre has done even more than that for me. I am now a far more intelligent citizen and enlightened person. The ideas I have been exposed to have helped me to see the power that each person has in the world. My time at Mary Washington is a stretch of my life that I will never forget.” —Neal Gallini-Burdick ’19

FOLLOW US! @UMWTHEATRE Neal Gallini-Burdick ’19 as Michael in God of Carnage

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