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Festival XLIV - Weber State University - February 7-11, 2012


Invited Productions
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Invited Productions


Tuesday, February 7th


Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl

Directed by Lisa Hagen

Utah Valley University

M. Thatcher Allred Theater

Performances: 11:00am and 3:00pm


Eurydice portrays the ancient Greek story of Orpheus's famous trek into the Underworld to bring his love, Eurydice, back from the dead. The myth is traditionally told from Orpheus's point of view, however Sarah Ruhl wrote Eurydice from the viewpoint of the leading lady.


Respondents: Marilyn McIntyre & Joseph Flauto

Response: 12:30pm Tuesday in M. Thatcher Allred Theater




Wednesday, February 8th

Xanadu

Book by Douglas Carter Beane with Music & Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar

Directed by Jim Christian

Weber State University

George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater

Performances: 11:00am, 2:30pm and 7:30pm

Based on the cult hit feature film, Xanadu tells the story of a magical muse named Kira who comes to earth in 1980 (disguised in roller skates, leg warmers and an Australian accent) to inspire what the gods call truly great work and discover the meaning of the universe's greatest secret: the gift of 'Xanadu.' Kira meets the handsome artist Sonny, who needs her help in achieving his greatest dream: the first Roller Disco!.


Respondents: Marilyn McIntyre  & Joseph Flauto

Response: 9:00pm in George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater




Wednesday, February 8th

The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance

Directed by David Morgan

Brigham Young University

Mark Evans Austad Auditorium Stage

Performances: 2:30pm and 7:30pm

Throughout history there have been individuals who inspire others. Joseph Merrick - dubbed "The Elephant Man" - lived with a hideous and debilitating disease and was truly remarkable. Found in a freak show, subjected to cruel crowds, then admitted to a London hospital for scientific observation, Merrick lived surrounded by ugliness. This production of the Tony Award-winning play utilizes inventive staging, masks, movement, and music to reveal the strength of character necessary to see beauty in unexpected places.

 

Respondents: Marilyn McIntyre & Margot Melcon

Response: 4:30pm in Mark Evans Austad Auditorium Stage




Wednesday, February 8th

Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams

Directed by Nathanial Sinnott

California Lutheran University

M. Thatcher Allred Theater

Performances: 2:30pm and 7:30pm

Suddenly Last Summer is a one-act play that opened off-Broadway in 1958 as part of a double bill with another of Williams' plays. He wrote it after beginning a period of psychoanalytic treatment and it seems to serve as a type of exorcism of Williams' inner demons. In one of his starkest and most poetic works, Williams explores the nature of insanity, desire, voyeurism and the inherent danger that lies in humanity's search for truth.

Given the disturbing nature of the subject matter, this play is intended for mature audiences.


Respondents:  Jim Greer & Joseph Flauto

Response: 4:00pm in M. Thatcher Allred Theater




Thursday, February 9th

The Cover of Life by R.T. Robinson

Directed by Lori C. Siekmann

Concordia University

Mark Evans Austad Auditorium Stage

Performances: 1:00pm & 7:30pm


When three young war brides in rural Louisiana move in with their mother-in-law while their husbands fight in WWII, LIFE Magazine sends its top female reporter to do a "women's piece" about them. But what the reporter finds changes both her and the women forever. Filled with charm and fun, The Cover of Life is a deeply affecting story about the struggle for self-worth and love.


Respondents: Marilyn McIntyre & Joseph Flauto

Response: 3:00pm in Mark Evans Austad Auditorium Stage




Thursday, February 9th

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Ward Wright, Randall Wright, and Marvin Payne; based on the Book by Susan Wojciechowski, Illustrations by P.J. Lynch

Directed by Rodger Sorensen

Brigham Young University and the SCERA Center for the Arts

M. Thatcher Allred Theater

Thursday, February 9th, 7:30 pm

Concert staging of the moving tale of Jonathan Toomey–a reclusive carpenter in a small Appalachian village–whose life is changed when he meets an eager boy and his widowed mother who are searching for a new Christmas crèche. This world-premiere musical adaptation from the beloved children’s story is a perfect way to feel the true spirit of Christmas.

Respondents: Jim Greer & Allison Mosier

Response: Thursday, February 9th, 9:30 pm in M. Thatcher Allred Theater




Thursday, February 9th

The Dramatization of 365 Days by H. Wesley Balk, adapted Bruce Goodrich

Directed by Kari Hayter

California State University, Fullerton

George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater

Performances: 4:00pm & 7:30pm


Based on the book that follows the real-life experiences of Ronald J. Glasser while a medic in the Vietnam War, 365 Days focuses on the interaction between one badly burned soldier and the doctor's conflicted attempts to save his life.


Respondents: Daniel L. Patterson & Tom Woldt

Response: 9:00pm in George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater




Friday, February 10th

The Unseen Hand by Sam Shepard

Directed by Leslie Ferreira

Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy

Mark Evans Austad Auditorium

Performances: 12:30pm (Female Cast), 2:30pm (Male Cast), 5:30pm (Female Cast) and 7:30pm (Male Cast)


This 1969 science-fiction work, said to have influenced Richard O'Brien's stage musical The Rocky Horror Show, takes place in a desert wasteland in Southern California. The pop-influenced piece features three broken-down cowboy desperadoes, a space alien refugee, a cheerleader and more.

 

Respondents: Alejandro Rodriguez & Tom Woldt

Response: 9:00pm in Mark Evans Austad Auditorium



Friday, February 10th

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Bert V. Royal

Directed by Christopher J. Aranda

Citrus College

George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater

Performances: 2:30pm & 7:30pm


Good Grief Charlie Brown! Wonder whatever happened to your beloved "Peanuts Gang"? We follow the crew a decade later in this hilarious yet touching parody, addressing the dramas and angst of their adolescence.

When CB's dog dies from rabies, CB begins to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is too burnt out to provide any coherent speculation; his sister has gone goth; his ex-girlfriend has recently been institutionalized; and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any sort of solace. But a chance meeting with an artistic kid, the target of this group's bullying, offers CB a peace of mind and sets in motion a friendship that will push teen angst to the very limits. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity collide and careen toward an ending that's both haunting and hopeful.


Respondents: Allison Mosier & Daniel L. Patterson

Response: 4:30pm in George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater




Saturday, February 11th

Cesar and Ruben, A Musical by Ed Begley, Jr.

Directed by Perviz Sawoski & Ed Begley, Jr.

Santa Monica College

M. Thatcher Allred Theater

Performances: 12:30pm & 5:00pm


Cesar and Ruben” chronicles the life of Chavez through music, imagery and a conversation with slain Los Angeles Times reporter Ruben Salazar, who often wrote about Chavez. The show mixes humor and drama, music and dance, history and personal struggles, with songs in Spanish – and supertitles in English – by Sting, Ruben Blades, Carlos Santana and more.


Respondents: Allison Mosier & Margot Melcon

Response: 2:30pm in M. Thatcher Allred Theater



Saturday, February 11th

The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco

Directed by Randy Messersmith, , Voice Modulation and Media Design by Boyd Branch.

Scottsdale Community College

George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater

Performances: 12:30pm and 3:00pm


“A work of art really is above all an adventure of the mind…It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.”
- Eugene Ionesco-
 
The Bald Soprano is a scathing romp through language and the futility of meaningful conversation. Entrenched in the delightful banality of Englishness, the Smith family both follows and is followed by their Englishness through stultifying eroticism, bewildering impropriety, and ghastly anti-climaxes.  For the people in The Bald Soprano the communication of a single idea seems a Herculean task. Language is not merely a weapon we can wield and shape at will, but a force that uses us as much as we use it.

This production employs new and emergent technologies upon contemporary theatre and performance practices to further trouble and explore the relationship of language to meaning by completely disembodying the language of the play from the performance. Using voice-modulating software we developed for the production, Trestle mask work, and a dynamic, projected media environment the eponymous Bald Soprano cantillates us into the digital age.

Respondents: Rebecca Hilliker & Daniel L. Patterson

Response: 4:30pm in George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater