Art Events

Theatre's Studio Series opens with Boom

Theatre — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:32:36 -0500

The Theatre at Marietta College opens its fifth annual Studio Series with Boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. The four-show run begins at 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12. Performances continue at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, and conclude at 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15. All performances are in the Friederich Apron Stage of the Hermann Fine Arts Center at the corner of Fourth and Butler streets on the Marietta College Campus.

In this new American comedy, a grad student has discovered signs of the apocalypse through his study of fish sleep cycles. In an effort to save humankind, he places a cryptic personal ad reading, �Sex to change the course of the world . . .� The ad lures a journalism coed to his subterranean lab where she learns the true meaning behind ad. Will their �intensely significant coupling� lead to another big bang, or is humankind�s fate in the hands of someone watching from outside the fishbowl?

Boom received its 2008 world premiere at New York City�s Ars Nova. Other major productions include Washington, D.C. (Woolly Mammoth Theatre), Seattle (Seattle Rep), and Cleveland (Cleveland Public Theatre). Nachtrieb is the recipient of numerous grants and awards for new play development and has recently contributed to the 2009 Humana Festival and been commissioned by South Coast Repertory Theatre.

The Marietta College production is co-directed by theatre majors Sara Raddell �10 and Andrew Wind �10. Of the production Raddell says, �I love this show. I am so excited because this show is completely student designed. It�s a great opportunity to see the talent of the students in Marietta College Theatre.� Wind adds, �I am thrilled to work on such a high-caliber script with an amazing group of people. This production is a great stepping stone into the professional theatre world, and I look forward to the audience�s reaction.�

Tickets may be reserved by calling the Theatre at Marietta College Box Office at (740) 376-4678 or purchased before the show. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for students. Tickets for Marietta College students and employees are free. For more information, contact Dorothy Leifheit at (740) 376-4688 or dwl001@marietta.edu.

Jazz Ensemble to Present Fall Concert: Nov. 10

Music — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:21:33 -0400

The Edward E. MacTaggart Department of Music announces the Marietta College Fall Jazz Concert featuring the Jazz Ensemble and the newly formed Jazz Combo. The concert will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the Alma McDonough Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public. The performance will be under the direction of Professor Marshall C. Kimball, Director of Bands and Instrumental Activities at Marietta College with assistance from music department adjunct, Randy Brannon. A free-will donation will be taken during the concert to help defray the cost of the jazz program.

The Jazz Ensemble will be performing along with The Jazz Combo, a select group of four horns and a full jazz rhythm section. This will be the Combos first performance for the college. The music performed by the groups will span from the 1920s to present day. During the performance of several compositions, Marietta College band members will be featured as soloists. In addition to the two jazz groups, Steven Moore, 2008 National Banjo Champion, will perform two banjo solos from his repertoire.

Selections from the performance are: "It Don�t Mean A Thing If It Ain�t Got That Swing" by Duke Ellington; "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" by K. Morris; "Night In Tunisia" by Dizzy Gillespie; "Fly Me To The Moon" by Bart Howard; "Satin Doll" by Billy Strayhorn; "Barnburner" by Les Hooper; "Adrenaline Attack" by Scott Stranton; "The Girl from Ipanema" by Antonio Carlo Jobim; "Mambo Swing" by Duke Ellington; "Bellevia" by Chuck Mangione; Weather Report�s "Birdland", arr. by Tom Wallace; Glenn Miller�s "In The Mood", arr. by Paul Lavender and "Goodbye My Heart" by Michael Smukal.

For more information: 376-4696.

Theatre announces 2009-10 Season

Theatre — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:09:54 -0400

The Theatre at Marietta College is proud to announce its 2009-10 season, which includes the 63nd Mainstage Series, the fifth Studio Series, and two festivals. The season theme is �Pieces of Lives, Journeys Through Time.� All of the scripts selected for production this year examine the idea of time�how lives changes as time passes, how time and memory intersect, and how time can be manipulated when telling stories. These plays also offer compelling glimpses into different lives�sometimes through quick snapshots in sequence, sometimes by focusing on the defining moment when a character faces a major decision. The faculty, staff, and students are excited to offer a season unified by these ideas and to invite our audiences along for the journey.

The 63rd Mainstage Series

The Illusion by Pierre Corneille, freely adapted by Tony Kushner
Directed by Jeffrey M. Cordell

8 p.m., Oct. 2 and 3

2 p.m., Oct. 4

8 p.m., Oct. 15-17
Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) modernizes a 17th Century comedy about a lawyer seeking a prodigal son with the help of a magician who conjures forth scenes from the young man�s life. Fairy-tale romance and heartbreaking tragedy mix in this tale about love and the power of theatre.

Quilters by Molly Newman & Barbara Damashek
Directed by Jeffrey M. Cordell, Musical Direction by Dr. David Tadlock

8 p.m. Feb 4-6, 12-13

2 p.m. Feb. 14
The Theatre and Music Departments celebrate Marietta College�s 175th anniversary with this uplifting musical about a pioneer woman who gifts a Legacy Quilt to her daughters. A series of tales and songs richly endow each quilt block with meaning and emotion. Presented in conjunction with the Art exhibition �Women in Fiber: from Craft to Art� Jan. 23 - Feb. 21 in the Hermann Fine Arts Center 3rd floor gallery.

The Mineola Twins by Paula Vogel
Directed by Jessica Jackson and Stephanie Tett

8 p.m., March 26-27

2 p.m., March 28

8 p.m., April 1-3
Twin sisters Myra and Myrna grapple with their individuality through three American decades: Eisenhower�s 1950s, Nixon�s 1969, and the 1989 of H. W. Bush. Personalities and politics collide in this dark comedy (with wigs!) as good twin and evil twin confront infidelity, motherhood, and the FBI�all while sharing their dreams and the voices in their heads.

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. The Mainstage Series this year is presented in thrust arrangement with the audience on three sides of the playing space. Tickets for mainstage plays are $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $6 for students. Tickets for the mainstage musical are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $8 for students. Admission for Marietta College students and employees is free. Tickets may be purchased beginning one hour before the performance or reserved by calling (740) 376-4678.

The 5th Studio Series

Boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Directed by Sara Raddell and Andrew Wind

8 p.m. Nov. 12-14

2 p.m. Nov. 15
�Sex to change the course of the world . . .� A grad student�s personal ad lures a journalism coed to a subterranean lab where he studies fish sleep cycles for signs of the apocalypse. Will their �intensely significant coupling� lead to another big bang, or is mankind�s fate in the hands of someone watching from outside the fishbowl? This new American comedy will leave you laughing long after the lights go out.

�Overtones� by Alice Gerstenberg, directed by Aislynn B. Leeson
�The Author�s Voice� by Richard Greenberg
and �The Appointment� by Luigi Jannuzzi, directed by Chuck Bonakoski

8 p.m. Feb. 25-27

2 p.m. Feb. 28
An evening of three one-act plays that questions our ability to see our circumstances truthfully. In �Overtones,� two women share a polite social visit while their less-than-polite primal selves speak the truth. �The Author�s Voice� reveals how an author�s great success depends on the greater secret of the true author�s identity. �The Appointment� presents a man who frustratingly misses a meeting with his maker.

Studio series productions are performed in either Studio 101 or the Friederich Apron Stage. Both stages are located in the Hermann Fine Arts Center at the corner of Fourth and Butler Streets on the Marietta College campus. Studio 101, a proscenium stage with 65 seats, offers an intimate space for young directors and actors to practice their craft. The Friederich Apron is an extension of the Friederich mainstage offering seats in the Friederich house. Tickets for studio series performances are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $4 for students. Admission for Marietta College students and employees is free. Tickets may be purchased beginning one hour before the performance or reserved by calling (740) 376-4678.

Festivals

4th Annual 24-Hour Play Festival

8 p.m. Feb. 20
New works written, rehearsed, and performed by our students in just one day!

One-Act Festival

Program A: 8 p.m. April 22 and 2 p.m. April 24

Program B: 8 p.m. April 23-24
A variety of short plays presented in two alternating evenings.
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 at the corner of Fourth and Butler Streets on the Marietta College campus.