FSU Department of Theatre and Dance Presents Exciting Lineup for 2018-19 Season
Sep 7, 2018 9:40 AM
Frostburg State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present a colorful collection of something for everyone during its 2018-19 season lineup – a powerful drama set against the race riots that ravaged Detroit in 1967, a timeless Christmas classic, five short plays that will make you laugh as well as think, a student dance concert with original choreography and a provocative romantic comedy.
The season kicks off with “Detroit ’67,” which begins in July of that year, when siblings Chelle and Lank host an unlicensed after-hours joint in their basement to make ends meet. While the vibrant sounds of Motown create a soundtrack for dreaming, hope and escape, the Detroit streets erupt with racial divide, police brutality and chaos. When Lank offers shelter to a mysterious stranger, tensions in the family rise and the dangers of the streets creep closer to home. Winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama inspired by American History, Dominique Morriseau’s riveting play looks back to a turbulent ti
Frostburg State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present a colorful collection of something for everyone during its 2018-19 season lineup – a powerful drama set against the race riots that ravaged Detroit in 1967, a timeless Christmas classic, five short plays that will make you laugh as well as think, a student dance concert with original choreography and a provocative romantic comedy.
The season kicks off with “Detroit ’67,” which begins in July of that year, when siblings Chelle and Lank host an unlicensed after-hours joint in their basement to make ends meet. While the vibrant sounds of Motown create a soundtrack for dreaming, hope and escape, the Detroit streets erupt with racial divide, police brutality and chaos. When Lank offers shelter to a mysterious stranger, tensions in the family rise and the dangers of the streets creep closer to home. Winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama inspired by American History, Dominique Morriseau’s riveting play looks back to a turbulent time in history and guides us to reflect on the issues of today. Performances, directed by Nicole Mattis, will take place in the F. Perry Smith Studio Theatre of the Woodward D. Pealer Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13, and Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 18 to 20, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Oct. 13.
Next, celebrate the holiday season with “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” Christmas is coming, and with it comes the church nativity pageant – that sweet yearly event with adorable children dressed in daddy’s bathrobe and tinsel halos. Not this year! A broken leg, a new director and “the worst kids in the whole history of the world” all add up to hilarious mayhem that’s holiday fun for the whole family! Local children join the cast of this timeless classic. Directed by Mairzy Yost-Rushton, Pealer Center Drama Theatre performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, and Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 6 to 8, with matinees on Sunday, Dec. 2, Saturday, Dec. 8, and Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m.
In the spring, the Department of Theatre and Dance will present a series of one-act plays, “Five by Ives.” What do one crazy new language, two mayflies in love and three monkeys writing “Hamlet” have in common? They are just part of the hilarity in this evening of five plays by David Ives. The New York Times calls Ives, “the maestro of the short form.” Using wit and goofiness, this wordsmith has crafted stories that are a keen commentary on how people communicate and relate to one another. Darrell Rushton will direct the performances, which will take place in the Smith Studio Theatre on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, and Thursday through Saturday, March 7 to 9, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on March 2 at 2 p.m.
The Spring Dance Concert, featuring the spectacular talent of the FSU Dance Company, will be held Thursday through Saturday, April 11 to 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Drama Theatre. Ruth St. Denis, an American modern dance pioneer, once said, “I see dance being used as communication between body and soul, to express what it too deep to find for words.” When music and movement meet, the audience experiences not only the beauty and skill of the artists, but the emotions no words can encompass.
The 2018-19 season wraps up with “Fat Pig,” the story of Tom, a stereotypical professional businessman in a large city, who falls for a very plus-size librarian named Helen. They say love is blind, and for Tom, Helen is easy to love. She’s funny, she’s smart and she’s beautiful. But to his friends, she’s just fat. How could anyone love someone like her? Indeed, she is a plus-sized woman, but that shouldn’t matter, right? Tom finds himself struggling to explain his love to his friends and is increasingly worn down by the jokes and the criticism. Can love last when the world can only see us from the outside? Performances, directed by Yost-Rushton, will take place in the Smith Studio Theatre on Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4, and Thursday through Saturday, May 9 to 11, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on May 4 at 2 p.m.
Season subscriptions are available until Oct. 20. For $60, Season Subscribers receive discounted tickets to five shows, as well as reserved seats for all performances. Individual tickets are $15 for general admission and $7 for students.
For information, call the Theatre and Dance box office at 301-687-7462, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit the Frostburg State web site or FSU Facebook page. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.
FSU is committed to making all of its programs, services and activities accessible to persons with disabilities. To request accommodations through the ADA Compliance Office, call 301-687-4102 or use a Voice Relay Operator at 1-800-735-2258.