FAIRBORN — Wright State Theatre and Dance is presenting a season of riotous comedy, thoughtful drama, and classic and contemporary musicals.
In a season that features the stories of rising independence, tragic consequences, and joyful discovery, audiences will experience one of the most eclectic and varied seasons in recent memory. This year WSU is welcoming a pair of local artistic directors — Emily N. Wells and Gina Handy Minyard — to lead major area premieres.
Unless otherwise listed, all showtimes are 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. depending on the date.
“The Liar” — a riotous farce, adapted from Pierre Corneille by contemporary comic playwright David Ives — will take place from Sept. 29 to Oct. 8 in the Festival Playhouse. This “scintillating comic romp” will have audiences rolling with rhymed laughter at mistaken identity, wily servants, foolish masters and complicated romance. Directed by Josh Aaron McCabe (head of acting).
The regional university premiere of Katie Kring and Rob Hartmann’s “Kelly The Destroyer vs The Springfield Cobras” will take place Oct. 20-29 in the Herbst Studio Theatre. Kelly, a new student at Cotesville Magnet High School, faces a school where testing is everything, everything is testing, and some of the students are really weird. Kelly and her new friends discover that the educational consultant reforming the school is secretly turning the students into high-performing, brainwashed cobras. It’s up to Kelly to uncover the truth and save the school before it’s too late. It is directed by Jamie Cordes (senior lecturer).
In a reimagined production, “Cabaret” returns to the Festival Playhouse stage Nov. 3-19 under the direction and choreography of Greg Hellems (head of musical theatre). John Kander and Fred Ebb’s classic Broadway hit follows the rise of fascism in the 1930s and the inevitable costs to the German people. Filled with classic hits, like “Cabaret,” “Maybe This Time,” and “Money,” this classic musical will entertain and illuminate the dark corners of our culture. Showtimes are 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. depending on the day.
Marina Carr’s “By The Bog Of Cats” is a furious, uncompromising tale of greed and betrayal, of murder and profound self-sacrifice. Loosely based on Euripides’ tragedy “Medea,” and set on the bleak, ghostly Irish landscape of the Bog of Cats, this provocative drama discloses one woman’s courageous attempts to lay claim to that which is hers, as her world is torn in two. Directed by Minyard (artistic director, Magnolia Theatre Co.), the area premier of this production runs from Feb. 2-11 inside the Festival Playhouse.
WSU is presenting a rare chance to see an original classic drama and its unlikely sequel side-by-side in the Herbst Studio Theatre.
Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is one of the most important works of world theatre, setting the stage for a revolution in psychological realism with one woman’s discovery of her own strength and independence in a world determined to crush her. As one critic said, Nora’s was “the door slam heard round the world.” Frank McGinnis’ contemporary translation brings Ibsen’s landmark of modern drama to vivid life. Directed by Artistic Director Marya Spring Cordes, it will run Feb. 15-18.
Ibsen’s original is followed the next week by Lucas Hnath’s 2017 sequel of sorts, “A Doll’s House, Part 2.” Many years after Nora Helmer’s shocking departure, there’s a knock on that same door. Nora has returned. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind? It has been called a witty, incisive, and deeply satisfying drama. Directed by Wells (artistic director, Human Race Theatre Co.) the area premiere runs Feb. 22-25.
WSU welcomes spring with the Tony and Drama Desk Award winning” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” where audience members will actually participate in the fun of a middle school spelling bee. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny, and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience. Six awkward spelling champions learn that winning (and losing) isn’t everything. Directed and Choreographed by Joe Deer (distinguished professor of musical theatre), it runs March 15-31 inside the Festival Playhouse.
The Wright State University Dance Ensemble offers the region’s most varied evening of Dance with its annual Spring Dance Concert. Featuring the work of Wright State’s faculty Gina Walther (head of dance), Ashley Pabst and guest artists, it will be joined by community education partners, Dayton Ballet II and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II.
It runs April 18-21 inside the Festival Playhouse. Showtimes are 7 p.m. April 18, 8 p.m. April 19-20, and 2 p.m. April 21.
Season tickets can be purchased through Wright State School of Fine and Performing Arts Box Office at 937-775-2500 or www.wright.edu/theatre.
