November 22, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

UMW Theatre Continues 2014-15 Season with “The Drunken City”

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The University of Mary Washington’s Department of Theatre & Dance will continue its 2014-15 season with The Drunken City, a comedy by Adam Bock. Eaglevision-Drunken-Slide-webPerformances will take place Feb. 12-14 and 19-21 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 15, 21 and 22 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, located in duPont Hall on UMW’s Fredericksburg campus. In The Drunken City, bride-to-be Marnie and her two bridesmaids, Linda and Melissa, take to the city that never sleeps for one last night of bachelorette fun. When they meet Frank and Eddie during their bar crawl, the bridal party becomes the only thing between the bride-to-be and a huge mistake. While exploring “Sex and the City” themes, the play proves that happiness and heartache are two sides of the same coin. Canadian playwright Adam Bock is the resident playwright at Encore Theatre and a Shotgun Players Artistic Associate. The Drunken City was originally commissioned by the Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, New York and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play in 2008. The Drunken City is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music. Scenic design is by Associate Professor Julie Hodge and lighting design is by student designer Christopher Stull. Costume design is by Associate Professor Kevin McCluskey and sound design is by guest designer Jon K. Reynolds. On Friday, Feb. 13, the department will host a “Ladies Night Out” event at 5:30 p.m. which includes cocktails at the Hyatt Place Fredericksburg-Mary Washington and admission to the performance. In addition, the matinee performance on Sunday, Feb. 15 will be followed by Afterwords, a post-show talk with the cast. Tickets are $12 for standard admission and $10 for students, senior citizens and military. For further information on the events or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit http://www.umw.tix.com.

UMW Presents “Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music”

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The University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music,” a special two-show performance, on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Sing a LongPerformances will take place at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium, located in George Washington Hall on the university’s Fredericksburg campus. Tickets are $20 for standard admission and $15 for children and students with a UMW or Germana Community College ID.

“The Sound of Music” will be performed in interactive mode as audience members will have the opportunity to sing-a-long, dress up in costume and join the choruses of “My Favorite Things.” The performance will begin with a vocal warm up to encourage the audience to join in with the musical.

“Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music” first premiered in 2000 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan. In 2001, the production appeared at the Hollywood Bowl where over 18,000 people attended the performance, including the film’s director and writer. The drama has toured internationally since 2005 in cities such as London, Amsterdam, Dublin, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne, Stockholm and many other major cities.

For further information and to purchase tickets, contact the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit umw.tix.com.

UMW Theatre Opens 2014-15 Season with “Doubt”

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The University of Mary Washington Theatre opened its 2014-15 season with “Doubt,” a Tony Award-winning drama by John Patrick Shanley.   Photo Credit: Geoff Greene, Father Flynn, played by Stephen Nickens ‘15 Sister James, played by Catherine O’Meara ‘17, and Sister Aloysius, played by Catalina Ruiz de Gamboa ‘15 Father Flynn, played by Stephen Nickens ‘15 Sister James, played by Catherine O’Meara ‘17 Sister James, played by Catherine O’Meara ‘17, and Sister Aloysius, played by Catalina Ruiz de Gamboa ‘15 Sister Aloysius, played by Catalina Ruiz de Gamboa ‘15 Performances are taking place Sept. 25-27 and Oct. 2-4 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 28 and Oct. 4-5 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, located in duPont Hall on the university’s Fredericksburg campus. Tickets are $18 for standard admission and $16 for students, senior citizens and military. Set in 1964, “Doubt” is a drama that takes place in a Catholic church and school in Bronx, New York. The play focuses on the confrontations between Sister Aloysius, the rigid school principal and Father Flynn, the charismatic parish priest. Tensions rise as Sister Aloysius becomes increasingly suspicious of Father Flynn’s interest in one of her students, and the seed of doubt is sown when the Father vehemently opposes the allegations. “Doubt” originally opened in 2004 off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In 2005, the production transferred to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway where it ran for 525 performances. In the same year, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and the Tony Award for Best Play. The drama toured nationally in 2007 and was subsequently turned into an Academy Award-nominated film that starred Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn. The university’s performance of “Doubt” is directed by Helen Housley, associate professor of theatre. Scenic and lighting designs are by visiting assistant professor Niffer Pflager and associate professor Julie Hodge, respectively. Costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. For further information and to purchase tickets, contact the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit umw.tix.com.

“Always…Patsy Cline” Returns to Klein Theatre

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Two Fredericksburg area students will give encore performances when the University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance brings back the production of “Always. . . Patsy Cline” beginning Wednesday, July 9 at Klein Theatre. Patsy-Cline-Taryn Snyder “Always…Patsy Cline” is based on the true story of Louise Seger, a fan of Patsy Cline, who gets the chance to meet Cline when she comes to her hometown for a show. Louise and Patsy become fast friends, bonding after the show over the troubles of life. Their friendship grew through a series of letters and phone calls that continued until Cline’s untimely death. The musical features many of Patsy Cline’s hits, including “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” and “I Fall to Pieces.” Senior theatre major Taryn Snyder, who grew up in Fredericksburg before moving to Rochester, N.Y., plays the role of Patsy, while the role of Louise Seger is played by fellow senior theatre major Emily Burke, who graduated from James Monroe High School. Performances will be July 9-12, July 16-19, and July 23-26 at 7:30 p.m., and July 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 2 p.m. UMW’s original production ran in Klein Theatre for three sold-out weeks in February. “Never in the history of our program have we experienced such a demand for tickets,” said Director Gregg Stull, chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Department of Music. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this thrilling production to the greater Fredericksburg community this summer.” Virginia Patterson Hensley, known as Patsy Cline, was a country singer from Winchester, Va., who crossed over in the 1960’s from country and western into the pop-music charts. She died at the age of 30 in a plane crash in 1963. Ten years later, Cline became the first female solo artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her plaque in the Hall of Fame reads: “Her heritage of timeless recordings is testimony to her artistic capacity.” Emily Burke plays Louise Seger. “Always…Patsy Cline” is directed by Stull, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert. Scenic design is by associate professor Julie Hodge and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound designs are by guest artists Catherine Girardi and Anthony Angelini. Tickets are $40 for standard admission, $35 for students, senior citizens, UMW alumni, and the military and $25 for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit umw.tix.com.

“Spring Awakening” Opens Tonight at Klein Theatre

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The University of Mary Washington’s Department of Theatre & Dance will continue its 2013-2014 season with a production of the rock musical “Spring Awakening.” Performances will be Nov. 7-9, Nov. 13-16 and Nov. 21-23 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 2 p.m. in duPont Hall’s Klein Theatre. Tickets are $24 for general admission and $20 for students, senior citizens and military. Courtesy of Geoff Greene. “Spring Awakening,” with book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, revolves around the lives of school children in 19th-century Germany who are struggling to comprehend the changes in their bodies and the consequences of searching for the answers on their own. “The truth of ‘Spring Awakening’ is as relevant today as it was over a century ago,” said Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Music. “I know our production will touch our audience and leave them pondering the musical’s questions about what it means to grow up in our complex and uncertain world.” The play, by Frank Wedekind, first opened on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on December 10, 2006.  The original Broadway cast starred Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher, Jr. in the lead roles. The musical won eight Tony Awards, including for best musical, direction, book, score, and featured actor in a musical. The collaboration between Steven Sater and American singer-songwriter, Duncan Sheik, also brought the show a Grammy for its cast album. Courtesy of Geoff Greene. Stull is the director of the show, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert and choreography by Samantha Reynolds. Scenic design is by Associate Professor Julie Hodge and costume design is by Associate Professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound design are by guest artists Jason Arnold and Christopher Husted. The show explores provocative ideas with explicit language, sexual situations and nudity. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit http://cas.umw.edu/theatre/. News release prepared by: Jamie Wilson

“Moon Over Buffalo” Continues Through Feb. 26

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The University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance continues its 2011-12 season with a production of Ken Ludwig’s “Moon Over Buffalo.”  Performances will be Feb. 16-18 and Feb. 23-25 at 8 p.m., and Feb. 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and senior citizens and $4 for faculty, staff and students with a UMW ID.

“Moon Over Buffalo” takes place in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1953.  Stage actors George and Charlotte Hay are performing “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Private Lives” in repertory at Buffalo’s Erlanger Theatre when they receive word that Hollywood film director Frank Capra plans to attend a matinee performance. Chaos ensues as the Hays prepare for Capra’s arrival in hopes of starring in his new movie.

“Moon Over Buffalo” premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on Oct. 1, 1995, and ran for 309 performances. Philip Bosco and Carol Burnett were nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and Best Actress in a Play in 1996 for their roles as George and Charlotte Hay. Ken Ludwig’s work has been performed on Broadway and in London’s West End. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has been nominated for three Tony Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards.

“Moon Over Buffalo” is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance. Scenic design is by David Hunt, professor of theatre, costume design is by Kevin McCluskey, associate professor of theatre and lighting design is by Julie Hodge, associate professor of theatre. Wig design and fight choreography are by guest artists Kelly Calloway and Casey Kaleba. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.

“Rent” Opens to Rave Reviews

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“Rent,” the latest production of UMW’s Department of Theatre & Dance, has started a buzz on campus and in the community since its opening last Thursday, Nov. 10. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical by Jonathan Larson was one of the longest-running Broadway musicals in history. Now, the emotional story has a home at Mary Washington, through Sunday, Nov. 20.

A review in The Free Lance-Star delves into the intensive research and preparation that went into the production, from reading accounts from the late 1980s to meeting with an original cast member of “Rent.”

“The voices were exceptional. Emotions ran high as the cast brought the audience into the streets of New York City,” according to a review in The Bullet.

For ticket information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit http://umw.tix.com/Schedule.asp?OrganizationNumber=2399.

UMW’s Production of RENT Opens Thursday Night

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The UMW Department of Theatre & Dance will continue its 2011-12 season with a production of Jonathan Larson’s “Rent.” Performances will be Nov. 3-5, Nov. 10-12 and Nov. 17-19 at 8 p.m., and Nov. 6, 13 and 20 at 2 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $16 for students and senior citizens and $8 for faculty, staff and students with UMW IDs.

“Rent” is the story of Mark and Roger, two struggling artists with dreams of making lives for themselves on the Lower East Side of New York City in the mid-1990s. Relationships are challenged as the AIDS epidemic threatens to tear their close-knit community apart. Mark, Roger and friends grapple with the meanings of life, love and loss, and find hope in friendship as they struggle to make ends meet.

“Rent,” with book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, is based upon Giocomo Puccini’s “La Bohème.” “Rent” first premiered at New York Theatre Workshop in 1994, opened off-Broadway in 1996 and moved to Broadway later that year. In 1996, “Rent” won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. It closed in 2008 after running for 5,124 performances, making it one of the longest-running Broadway musicals in history. The rock musical has seen numerous productions across the United States and abroad and was adapted into a major motion picture in 2005.

“Rent” is directed by Gregg Stull, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert and choreography by Samantha Packard. Scenic design is by Julie Hodge, associate professor of theatre, and costume design is by Kevin McCluskey, associate professor of theatre. Lighting and sound designs are by guest artists Jason Arnold and Tony Angelini. For more information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111.