- Christopher Dea,
Director of "Noises Off"
Audiences at ISU will be treated to a lavish menu of theatre productions this fall, including a modern take on Homer’s “Odyssey”, one of Bertolt Brecht’s most celebrated plays and the sparkling British comedy, “Noises Off.”
Anon(ymous) kicks off the season. Written by Naomi Iizuka and aimed at younger audiences, this channels Homer’s “Odyssey” with the story of a nameless refugee from Southeast Asia searching for his family in America. Encountering a one-eyed killer, a seductive nymph and mistaken identity, the play is described as a journey to find one’s own identity in the face of adversity.
A Theatre for Young Audiences production, “Anon(ymous)” runs Sept. 28 and 29 and also Oct. 3 through 6 at 7:30 P.M. A matinee is available on Sept. 30 at 2 P.M. as well as student matinees on Oct. 3 and 5 at 9:30 A.M. All performances take place in the Center for Performing Arts.
The Glory of Living follows in October. A powerful drama, the play tells the tale of Lisa who escapes from her trailer-park prostitute mother with a car thief, only to descend into a life of murder.
Directed by Scott Campbell, “The Glory of Living” runs Oct. 4 through 6 and Oct. 9 through 13 at 7:30 P.M. Matinees are also staged on Oct. 7 and 13 at 2 P.M. The venue is Centennial West 207.
Mother Courage and Her Children, Bertolt Brecht’s renowned anti-war play, also runs in October at the Westoff Theatre. Written by Brecht soon after Hitler’s invasion of Poland, the play is set in war-torn Europe during the 17th Century. It tells the story of the cunning and mercenary Mother Courage, a camp follower who sets out to make a living from the Thirty Years’ War.
Directed by Sandi Zielinski, it runs from Oct. 18 through 20 and Oct. 23 through 27 at 7:30 P.M. A matinee will be staged on Oct. 21 at 2 P.M.
The Maids, the story of two outcast servants who plot to murder their mistress, opens at the beginning of November. “I hope to create a sense of empathy for the maids and for other people in our society that feel like outcasts,” says director Vanessa Stalling. “Currently, we have two political parties vigorously debating the rights of several groups that could be considered ‘outcasts,’ ranging from laborers and immigrants to women and homosexuals. It’s important that we consistently reevaluate who has power in our society and what that power does to those without it.
“’The Maids,’ provides an audience with the chance to immerse themselves in someone else’s shoes, to witness behavior that is most likely unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and to question why someone might be driven to such a point that she must commit, what might seem to most, torturous and self-abusive behavior.”
Written by Jean Genet, who was a thief, prostitute, prisoner poet, novelist and playwright over the course of his life, “The Maids” premieres Nov. 1 through 3 and Nov. 6 through 10 at 7:30 P.M. in Centennial West 207. Matinee performances are offered on Nov. 4 and Nov. 10 at 2 P.M.
Noises Off,” also arrives in November. A popular farce from British playwright and novelist Michael Frayn, it follows the antics backstage during the production of the fictitious sex comedy, “Nothing On.”
Director Christopher Dea said “’Noises Off’ is a fun farce. The characters are wonderful and the circumstances they get themselves into are a riot.”
Dea is no stranger to directing productions on stage. At ISU, he directed “The Zoo Story,” “One for the Road,” “Speech & Debate,” “The Dumb Waiter,” “The Marriage of Bette and Boo” and “Julius Caesar.” He has also directed in western Massachusetts, Boston and Hong Kong.
Performances are Nov. 2 through 3 and 7 through 10 at 7:30 P.M. at the Center for Performing Arts. A matinee performance will be on Nov. 4 at 2 P.M.
Wrapping up the fall theatre season is the Fall Dance Concert running from Dec. 6 through 8 at 7:30 P.M. and Dec. 8 at 2 P.M. in the Center for Performing Arts.