Theatre Schedule
The Theatre department offers BA and BFA degrees in theatre, a BFA in Musical Theatre, and a minor in theatre. We encourage students to participate actively in their education by undertaking independent studies and small group projects that meet their educational needs. At Marietta, classes are small and contact with faculty is intensive both inside and outside the classroom. We like to think that the theatre is our classroom and that every minute of every day is an opportunity to learn more.
Box Office: (740) 376-4678
The Theatre at Marietta College
2012-2013 Season:
"I COULD A TALE UNFOLD…"
The Theatre at Marietta College is proud to announce its 2012-2013 performance season. Of the upcoming year, Artistic Director Jeffrey M. Cordell says:
The theme for this season is: "I could a tale unfold . . ." This quote begins a famous speech from Act One of Shakespeare's Hamlet in which the ghost of Hamlet's father explains why he cannot describe his afterlife. The ghost says that if he were not forbidden to speak, he would offer a description that would freeze young blood, make eyes pop out of their sockets, and leave hairs standing on end. This reveals the power of Shakespeare’s theatricality—for what is left to imagine becomes far more potent and engaging than if it were provided in full detail. From this, our season builds on the joyful power of live storytelling. We gather at the theatre to experience the awesome capabilities of our imaginations while listening and watching a story unfold before us. Sometimes our stories crystallize the significance of the smallest details. Sometimes the tales we tell remind us of our shared human past and shape the ways we confront present issues to build a brighter future.
Another important goal of this year is discovering new ways of engaging our communities—on campus and throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley-beyond the typical theatre space. To that end, two of our productions: Hamlet and the double-bill studio production in April, will be site-specific. We have sought out unconventional spaces on campus to present these stories in the context of real life-the buildings, lawns, parking lots, and paths for everyday use may never feel the same after being charged with imaginative possibilities. We will still perform in the Friederich Theatre and Studio Theatre, but even those spaces may engage you in unexpected ways.
The heart of our season marks a return to a wonderful Marietta College theatre tradition of sharing theatre with young audiences through a local tour. Through a special advanced acting class, our students and Prof. Andy Felt will work together to create an original dramatization of an important issue or a new adaptation of a well-loved text to bring to area schools. We hope to build networks in our community to strengthen everyone’s access to education and the arts.
Come to the Theatre at Marietta College to hear and see the stories. We invite you to delight in what is excitingly left to the imagination. Such an open space is where the work of the artist and the gift of the audience connect.
The 66th Mainstage Series
Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Andy Felt
Oct. 19 & 20 at 8pm / Oct. 21 at 7pm
Oct. 26 & 27 at 8pm / Oct. 28 at 7pm
Join us for the greatest ghost story of all time. Young prince Hamlet wreaks havoc on his kingdom after swearing to avenge his father's murder. His sanity is tested by a girlfriend gone mad, an incestuously remarried mother, and college friends employed as court spies. An "emo" soundtrack, modern costumes, and an arsenal of weaponry will update Elsinore for our times— holding a mirror up to the darkness in human nature.
** This site-specific production will perform on the lawn between Andrews Hall and Irvine Administration Building in the heart of the Marietta College campus, as well as in the Great Room on the second floor of Andrews Hall. More details will be available to press and patrons closer to the opening.
** This production is offered in conjunction with the 2012 Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference, hosted by the Marietta College English Department and coordinated by Dr. Joseph Sullivan. The OVSC will run Oct. 18-20.The Arabian Nights
By Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Jeffrey M. Cordell
Feb. 22 & 23 at 8pm / Feb. 24 at 2pm
Mar. 1 & 2 at 8pm / Mar. 3 at 2pm
When Scheherezade is forced to marry a vengeful king, she knows the morning light means her death. But with the help of her younger sister, a vivid imagination, and a colorful cast of characters, she tempts the king and her fate . . . for 1,000 more nights. Her tales offer us timely lessons in humility, faith, sympathy, and love across cultures. Enchanting, erotic, and laugh-out-loud funny, this contemporary adaptation of a classic from the Middle East incorporates singing, dancing, and improv comedy.
** The Arabian Nights will be performed in the Friederich Theatre in Hermann Fine Arts Center on the Marietta College campus.
The 8th Studio Series
Studio 101, a proscenium stage with 65 seats, offers an intimate space for directors and actors to practice their craft.
The Long Christmas Dinner
By Thornton Wilder
Directed by Stephen Brakey
and
The Eight Reindeer Monologues
By Jeff Goode
Directed by Katy Fattaleh
Nov. 30 at 8pm
Dec. 1 at 2pm & 8pm / Dec. 2 at 2pm
Our first studio is an adult double-bill for the holidays. Wilder’s classic time-lapse play spans four generations of the Bayard family while serving up a century of profound change. In The Eight, the stables at the North Pole are abuzz with the recent Vixen scandal and the foggy details surrounding “the Rudolph incident.” More naughty than nice, these outrageous testimonials will "sleigh" you! ** This studio evening will be performed in the Hermann Fine Arts Center. The specific theatre space is still to be decided.
Touring Children's Theatre Project
Jan. 18 at 8pm / Jan. 19 at 9pm / Jan. 20 at 2pm
An original piece by our students built to tour area schools and delight young audiences. Catch a preview before the show hits the road!
** These preview performances will be held in the Studio Theatre in the Hermann Fine Arts Center.
Pullman Car Hiawatha
By Thornton Wilder
Directed by Keith Foster
and
The Rising of the Moon
By Lady Augusta Gregory
Directed by Nathan Bradley
April 4, 5, 6 at 8pm / April 7 at 7pm
Our final double-bill studio finds drama transcending time and space. Pullman Car Hiawatha explores how passengers aboard a typical train are connected to the cosmos. Wilder's experimental one-act is set in Ohio and premiered in 1932 at Antioch College. In The Rising of the Moon, two desperate men confront shifting loyalties and shared identities as they forge an unlikely bond in the midst of national rebellion. Lady Gregory and her writings helped to establish the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.
** This will be a site-specific production. Location details will be available to press and patrons closer to the opening.
Festivals
All festivals are free and open to the public. There is no reserved seating for these performances. Seating is available approximately 30 minutes before performance times. All festivals are performed in the Hermann Fine Arts Center.
7th Annual New-Plays-in-One-Day Festival
Nov. 10 at 8pm
Be a part of the energy and excitement of new plays written, rehearsed, and performed in just one day!
The one-night-only festival performance is free and open to the public. There is no reserved seating. Festival tickets are available approximately 30 minutes before the performance begins in the Hermann Fine Arts Center Lobby.
Mainstage series productions are performed in the Friederich Theatre, located in the Hermann Fine Arts Center at the corner of Fourth and Butler Streets on the Marietta College campus. Studio series productions are performed in Studio 101 of the Hermann Fine Arts Center. Tickets may be reserved through the box office by leaving a voice mail at 740-376-4678. Reserved tickets may be picked up and paid for at the box office beginning one hour before the performance. Reserved tickets must be picked up by 10 minutes before the performance. At that time, any unclaimed tickets will be released. For those without reservations, tickets may be purchased beginning one hour before the performance.
Ticket Prices:
Mainstage Play:
Adult $10.00
Senior $9.00
Student $8.00 (Marietta College students and employees are free)
Studio:
Adult $8.00
Senior $7.00
Student $6.00 (Marietta College students and employees are free)
Festivals:
Free
Box Office Phone:
740-346-4678