The Theatre at Marietta College is excited to present [title of show], opening at 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 20th, at the Friederich Theatre in the Hermann Fine Arts Center. Tickets holders are invited to join the cast and crew after the performance for an opening-night celebration.
“It’s been wonderful to watch our students play characters that they can really connect with. [title of show] isn’t set in Victorian England or a fantasy world and it’s not written in blank verse,” said adjunct professor Casiha Felt, who is the director of the production. “It’s a realistic and contemporary play about four young theatre artists living in NYC who are struggling with self-doubts centering around their careers and their art.”
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.
[title of show] is a 2009 Tony Award nominee for Best Book of a Musical.
“The central message is that making art — and your own artistic vision in particular — is an incredibly personal thing, and nobody should be allowed to tell you who you are or how to live your life… and certainly, no one but yourself should be allowed to dictate what kind of artist you are going to be. This message has really resonated with our students as we have been working on the production, and I’m sure it will resonate strongly with our audiences as well.”
Music and lyrics for [title of show] are by Jeff Bowen and the book is by Hunter Bell.
Other performances are scheduled for 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 21st; 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 27th; and 2:00 and 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 28th.
The September 21st performance will have an opportunity for audience members to enhance their experience in 30 minutes or less. Be a part of the Preshow Lecture Series an hour before this performance to engage with directors, dramaturgs, or special guests as they draw back the curtain and share insights on what you are about to see. Don't worry -- no spoilers here!
At the 2:00 p.m. performance on September 28th, art and philanthropy merge in Playing For Others. Proceeds from this performance will benefit the Marietta Community Foundation Marlene B. Somerville Memorial Fund for the MOV Junior Players, which “aids in the production costs of any MOVP play performed by or for children.”
This production is the equivalent to a PG-13 movie rating. Tickets are $20/adult, $15/child or senior, and available now at www.marietta.edu/boxoffice.
[title of show] is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.