UNW2022–2023TheatreSeason
A Word From the Artistic Director
On the Knight Hall stage, a wonderful new world premiere of Little Women includes special moments and godly advice given from mother to daughter that sometimes are overlooked by plays and film adaptations. I’ve written this adaptation for the purist lovers of the novel, original dialogue is left intact with little to no variations in order to capture the beauty of the written word. Everyone will cherish spending time with the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy— as they journey from childhood to women.
It’s a FULL season and live theater at UNW is BACK! This year is packed with audience favorites: historical fiction, the beloved March sisters, revised adaptations of great works, a spectacle Spring musical, and a classic J. R. Tolkien great. We’ll start our season in the Patsy Miller Studio Theater with These Shining Lives, a play written by Melanie Marnich. It is based on the true story of four women who worked for the Radium Dial Company - a watch factory based in Ottawa, Illinois. The play dramatizes the danger women faced in this workplace when working with radium and highlights the wider lack of concern companies had for protecting the health of their employees. This script and story are mesmerizing and bring you right into the action. We’ve doubled this cast, so see it twice to get a unique experience!
Student written and directed “Bathrobes” are back, along with a revised adaptation of Daniel McLaughlin’s A Christmas Carol. What
Students write ten minute plays and submit them for consideration as companion pieces to our Christmas production. Four student’s plays were chosen, and they’ll open as the first half of a night of theater.
Congratulations to Kendra Kispert A Hallmark Christmas, Thomas Nelson Give or Take, Lindsey Schmidt The Night Before Christmas: A Writer’s Block Nightmare, and Wylie White with Not a Creature Was Stirring.
It’s time to go back to spectacle on the Knight Hall stage with our Spring musical Anything Goes. Set in 1934, with recognizable music from Cole Porter, dance till you drop tap dancing, laughs in every scene, and the age-old tale of boy meets girl... Anything Goes is delightful, delicious and de-lovely.
It’s unusual for a modern work to become a classic so quickly, but Tolkien’s “ring” stories, which began with The Hobbit, clearly are in this very special category. They stir the imagination and intellect of everyone they touch. Let’s end our season in the Patsy Miller Studio Theater with this classic tale and delight both young and adult audience members alike. This season has all of your favorites. We hope that you will enjoy the laughter, tears, spectacle, and pure entertainment from UNW Theatre this year!
–Jennifer Hunter Artistic Director and Professor of EmbraceTheatrethe artist in every student… At University of Northwestern, we strive to embrace the artist in every student, foster the growth of the individual and bring to light their creative gifts. I believe that we glorify the ultimate Creator when we, in His likeness, create theatre to represent and mirror life. “God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold, loving and sensible.” —II Timothy 1:7
court and achieved a long-lasting
took
over
By Melanie Marnich
poor workplace conditions and worker’s compensation that is still in effect today. September 1–10, 2022 Patsy Miller sudio Theater Adults $18, Students/Seniors $15 Individual Tickets On Sale August 10, 2022
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Directed by Jennifer Hunter Shining Lives revolves around the real-life circumstances of wom en in the 1920s who worked in watch factory painting watch faces with radium-rich paint. the characters and company in Shining Lives are fictitious, story of the Radium Girls and the toxic and levels of radium poisoning of 4,000 factory workis real-life Radium Girls their company to victory with
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new world premiere adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women covers all of your favorite parts of the original novel. Set in New England during the Civil War, the play details a comingof-age story for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March as they grow and learn from their mistakes. Each of the young women has a “burden” or character flaw that they must recognize and overcome to reach their goals, and they find out that happy endings do not always turn out as expected. November 3–12, 2022, 7:30p.m. Knight Performance Hall Premium: Adults $22, Students/Seniors $19 Standard: Adults $18, Students/Seniors $15 Individual Tickets On Sale October 5, 2022
By Jennifer Hunter. on the classic by Louisa May Alcott
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Directed by Jennifer Hunter brand
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that captures the warmth and goodwill of the holiday season. The festival also includes 4 student-written 10-minute plays. This UNW tradition is a yearly delight for audiences and families of all ages. December 6–10, 2022 Patsy Miller Studio Theater Adults $18, Students/Seniors $15 Individual Tickets On Sale November 9, 2022 Featuring • A Hallmark Christmas by Kendra Kispert • Give or Take by Thomas Nelson • The Night Before Christmas: A Writer’s Block Nightmare by Lindsey Schmidt • Not a Creature Was Stirring by Wylie White
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By Daniel McLaughlin. Based on the classic by Charles Dickens Directed by Daniel McLaughlin Christmas Carol adapted and directed by Daniel McLaughlin, a adaptation classic, story
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Students/Seniors $19 Standard: Adults $18, Students/Seniors $15 Individual Tickets On
Music Lyrics by Cole OriginalPorterBook by P.G. & Guy Bolton And Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman
This comedic musical features dancing, singing, and madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Billy Crocker is a stowaway in love with heiress Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Ene my Number 13, “Moonface” Martin, aid Billy in his quest to win Hope. The musical introduced such songs from Cole Porter as “Anything Goes”, “You’re the Top”, and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” March 16–24, 2023 Hall Adults $22, Sale February 15, 2023
Wodehouse
Knight Performance
Premium:
and
Directed by Jennifer Hunter
Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom. April 13–22, 2023 Patsy Miller Studio Theater Adults $18, Students/Seniors $15 Individual Tickets On Sale March 15, 2023
Classic
By Patricia Gray Based on the by J. R. Tolkien
other
Directed by Megan Liesmaki Bilbo Baggins lives a simple life with his fellow Hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and dangers, the least of which is an encounter with Gollum and a simple ring that is tied to the fate of
gold
not
UNW Dance Theatre Out Darknessof An evening of concert dance featuring original choreography by dance faculty and Artistic Director, Jolene Konkel, along with select student works performed by University of Northwestern Dance Theatre and special guest artists. April 1, 2023 | 7:30 p.m. Knight Hall Stage General Admission $10 Not included in season ticket packages One FestivalAct Join us for one acts directed by students who are enrolled in the advanced directing course. May 3–6, 2023 Patsy Miller Studio General Admission $10 Not included in season ticket packages
Season Tickets • 2 Packages Available! Enjoy our full 5-show season or pick and choose with our 3-show package! • Save up to 18% off individual ticket prices! • First choice of seating before tickets go on sale to the public! (You must choose your seats upon purchase but can exchange at any time by calling the Ticket Office) • Access to premium seating at Knight Hall Performances! • Flexibility! Use your tickets for any shows you choose. (2 show minimum) • Bring a friend! Full Season Ticket Package holders can now buy additional tickets at your subscriber discount rate with our new Buddy Pass! (Limit 2 per season ticket holder) $80 Full Season Package (5 Shows) Mini Season Package (3 Shows) StudentsAdults&Seniors $70 $42$51 Two Easy Ways to Order! 1. Call 651-631-5151 2. Visit the Ticket Office
for more information! To experience a campus visit, contact Admissions
scholarship for acting, technical design, or stage management can email
UNW Theatre Scholarships
and students
be
Students interested in a
be
Scholarships for incoming Theatre Majors and Minors are awarded through a scholarship audition/interview process. The upcoming audition dates for the 2022–2023 season are November 12, 2022 and March 18, 2023. Auditions will held throughout the day, and their guests will invited to complimentary performance of Little Women and Anything Goes, respectively. Theatre theatre@unwsp.edu at 651-631-5111
a
or visit unwsp.edu/admissions
