Theatre at Marietta College excited about 2019-20 season

[title of show] to open at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20

Marietta, Ohio (09/04/2019) — The Theatre at Marietta College is excited to announce that its 2019-20 season will feature six different productions, beginning with [title of show].

"After the relaunch of our musical theatre degree last year, we were looking for ways to provide more opportunities for those majors," said Artistic Director Andy Felt. "So, this year we are producing two musicals … kicking things off with a small musical in the fall and then a large musical in the spring."

[title of show] opens a five-show run at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, at the Friederich Theater in Marietta College's Hermann Fine Arts Center.

"[title of show] is our first production, and it is an incredibly funny and heartfelt metatheatrical romp. It's a love letter to modern musicals and is going to be an absolute blast," Felt said. "She Kills Monsters will open on Halloween, and we are planning a cosplay contest and after-party for opening night. The show is set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons and features a ton of fantasy stage combat, pop culture references, and massive 'crit-fails.' In February, we will present a modern retelling of Synge's raucously sexy classic Irish comedy The Playboy of the Western World. It takes place in a backwoods pub in Ireland, and we are really excited about creating an authentic atmosphere for the production. Finally, for the Easter season, we will be presenting the incredibly popular modern American musical based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, Godspell.

There will also be an extra special twist with the Godspell auditions.

"Two seasons ago, we opened up auditions for Annie: The Musical to the community and that experience was such a success that we are going to try it again with Godspell this spring," Felt said. "We will be looking for performers and technicians of all ages who want to come play with us and join in on the learning and fun that comes from producing a big family-friendly musical for our community."

Auditions and technical interviews for Godspell are scheduled for Nov. 3-4. Information about those auditions will be announced in late September. Questions about the audition process can be directed to Felt at andy.felt@marietta.edu.

Again this year, the Theatre at Marietta College season will include a Preshow Lecture Series in which the audience can arrive early on specific dates to engage with directors, dramaturgs and special guests as they draw back the curtain and share insights on what you are about to see. Don't worry, there will not be any spoilers.

Also returning this year is art and philanthropy merge in Playing for Others, a program in which a portion of all proceeds from selected performances benefit designated charities. Dates for both of these programs are listed at the online box office at www.marietta.edu/boxoffice.

[title of show]

Music & Lyrics by Jeff Bowen

Book by Hunter Bell

Directed by Casiha Felt

Who says four chairs and a keyboard can't make a musical?

Broadway enthusiasts rejoice over this fun, feisty love letter to musical theatre. Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival, but the submissions deadline is only three weeks away! With nothing to lose, the pair teams up with their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry on the eighty-eights and agree to write until the deadline. [title of show] - taken from the space on the festival's application form which asks for the [title of show] - follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression.

2009 Tony Award nominee for Best Book of a Musical

"sly, sassy, inspired" - Entertainment Weekly

Equivalent to a PG-13 movie rating.

[title of show] is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.

14th Annual New-Plays-in-One-Day Festival

Join the Theatre at Marietta College during Homecoming Weekend for a festival of new plays written, rehearsed, and produced in just one day. This is event will be conducted at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, in the Hermann Fine Arts Center. It is free and open to the public.

She Kills Monsters

by Qui Nguyen

Directed by Andy Felt

We play D&D because it's awesome. It's about adventures and saving the world and having magic.

A comedic romp into the world of fantasy role-playing games, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her Ohio childhood home after the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly's Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly's refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and '90s pop culture, the acclaimed young playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

2014 AATE Distinguished Play Award2012 GLAAD Media Award nominee

"It will slash and shapeshift its way into your heart." - The New York Times

Equivalent to an R movie rating.

She Kills Monsters is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company.

The Playboy of the Western World: An Irish Comedyby J.M. Synge

Directed by Melissa Hill Grande

A daring fellow is the jewel of the world.

One night, a scruffy young stranger, Christy Mahon, stumbles into Michael James Flaherty's public house on the wild coast of County Mayo in Ireland. After much hemming and hawing, Christy eventually claims he is a decent lad on the run after killing his father. Enjoying the bold story, the locals welcome Christy as a hero, and Flaherty's barmaid daughter Pegeen Mike falls for him, much to the dismay of her betrothed. What will happen when the truth comes out? Scandalous in its time, the first performance in 1907 led to riots as Irish nationalists viewed the play to be an insult against morality and Ireland.

"(A) timeless comedy…saucy and hilarious" - The New York Times

Equivalent to a PG-13 movie rating.

Godspell

Conceived and Originally Directed by JOHN-MICHAEL TEBELAK

MUSIC AND NEW LYRICS BY STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

Based on The Gospel According to St. Matthew

Originally Produced on the New York Stage by

EDGAR LANSBURY / STUART DUNCAN / JOSEPH BERUH

Directed by Andy Felt

To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly.

Full of chart-topping songs like the international hit "Day by Day", Godspell follows Jesus Christ and a small group of people as they act out his story and his parables using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and a hefty dose of comic timing. Dissolving hauntingly into the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, Jesus' messages of kindness, tolerance and love come vibrantly to life. Injected with contemporary references and dazzling new arrangements, this masterful retelling of the original continues to touch audiences.

"(It) will energize and uplift your spirits… truly delightful." - DC Metro

Equivalent to a PG movie rating.

Early April. Details to be announced in spring 2020.

Godspell 2012 is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

One-Act Festival

Student-directed short plays in rotation over one dynamic weekend of theatre education in action. This event is free and open to the public.

Last weekend in April. Details to be announced in spring 2020.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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