Seton Hill University Theatre Announces 2004-2005 Season
LYSISTRATA by Aristophanes (adapted by Ranjit Bolt) Ranjit Bolt’s translation/adaptation of Aristophanes’ timeless Greek comedy presents a classic case of hysteria along with a history lesson. Determined to end the loss of husbands and sons in a war between Athens and Sparta, Lysistrata captains a corps of reluctant female revolutionaries who capture the Acropolis and call for a sex strike until the men call a truce. The Bolt adaptation, first presented at the Old Vic in England, is hip, flip and funny, yet its all too topical plea for peace loses nothing in this translation. For mature audiences.
Performances:
October 1, 2004 – 10:30 AM and 8:00 PM
October 2 – 8:00 PM
October 3 – 2:00 PM
October 5 and 6 – 10:30 AM
October 7, 8, and 9 – 8:00 PM
NO. 11 (BLUE AND WHITE) by Alexandra Cunningham “Did you know him?” It’s the first question they always ask Alex when they find out where she went to school. Indeed, Alex was best of friends with Reid, a prep star athlete with his game plan set for success. She was his loyal and trusted partner in the complicated labyrinth of politics and privilege in their affluent high school. And when the accusations begin to fly, Alex defends Reid with tragic blindness to the bitter end. First presented in March 2000 at the Humana Festival of New American Plays, Alexandra Cunningham’s examination of our social pecking order and the corresponding treatment of victims and accusers is “streamlined and stylized … marches inexorably from knowing innocence to bewildered devastation.” (City Search, NY) Did she know him? She thought she did. Realistic situations and language; for mature audiences.
Performances:
November 12, 2004 – 10:30 AM and 8:00 PM
November 13 – 8:00 PM
November 14 – 2:00 PM
November 16 and 17 – 10:30 AM
November 18, 19 and 20 – 8:00 PM
PIPPIN music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Roger O. Hirson Prince Pippin, the misfit son of Charlemagne, goes on the journey of his life to find the meaning of life. On the way, he encounters war, sex, power and the Leading Player, who seduces him away from the everyday world of farm and family to life extraordinary through the magic of musical theatre. Winner of five Tony awards including best direction and choreography by Bob Fosse, Pippin’s original run dazzled Broadway audiences for 1,944 performances. Three time Oscar-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame) hits us with one showstopper after another in this song and dance extravaganza hailed by Time magazine for its “Splendiferous theatricality ... the kick of a lightning bolt.…”
Performances:
February 25, 2005 – 10:30 AM and 8:00 PM
February 26 – 8:00 PM
February 27 – 2:00 PM
March 1 and 2 – 10:30 AM
March 3, 4, and 5 – 8:00 PM
HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE by Paula Vogel Driving is a rite of passage for a young woman. For Li’l Bit, the driving lessons began long before her sweet sixteenth. Via the headings in a driver’s training manual, writer Paula Vogel takes us on a hilarious and harrowing ride to “dangerous intersections of teenage temptation” (Village Voice). Winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and the 1996-97 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play, this story moves forward and in reverse, never idling, through the relationship between Li’l Bit and her driving instructor, Uncle Peck. Contains adult themes; for mature audiences.
Performances:
April 22, 2005 – 10:30 AM and 8:00 PM
April 23 – 8:00 PM
April 24 – 2:00 PM
April 26 and 27 – 10:30 AM
April 28, 29, and 30 – 8:00 PM
What’s new for SHU Theatre in 2004 – 2005:
Two subscription plan options - “Four for All” or “Three of Four” - offering more flexibility for subscribers. (See ticket information for details.)
All performances open on Friday nights with special receptions following opening night performances.
All shows run for two weekends.
FREE Study Guides for school classrooms, community groups, and/or individual patrons help to enrich the theatrical experience by guiding explorations of the historical and social contexts particular to each play. Guides contain background information on the play along with classroom/group activities for use both before and after the performance. Study Guides are available for all productions approximately one month before openings. Contact the Box Office to receive a copy.
FREE Talk Back Sessions provide opportunities for you to engage in dialogue with other audience members and performers. Seton Hill students and faculty, along with occasional special guests, facilitate these discussions immediately following the final curtain; all in attendance are invited to stay and participate. Offer an opinion, ask a question, pose a challenge, and share in debate about the aesthetic, political, and cultural issues raised by the performance. Talk Backs are offered after selected performances, but we invite requests from groups interested in additional dates. Contact the Box Office for details.
Ticket information:
All Seton Hill Theatre performances are held in Reeves Theatre, ground floor of Reeves Memorial Library, on Seton Hill’s campus. Seton Hill University is located on Route 130 West in Greensburg, PA. Reeves Theatre is a disabled accessible and climate-controlled facility. Parking is free.
Ticket prices: (-all ages, all performances): Single Admission is $12.00. “Four for All” Subscription (one ticket to each of the four productions - save 17% ) $40.00. “Three of Four” Subscription (one ticket to each of three plays of your choosing - save 14%) $31.00. Group Rate (groups of 16 or more, reservations and advance payment required) $10.00 each. Student Rush Tickets (sales begin five minutes before curtain and are subject to availability, validated school I.D. required) $5.00.
Order tickets by phone at 724-838-4241 or via e-mail at boxoffice@setonhill.edu. Box Office hours (by telephone) beginning September 1st, 2004 are 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Extended box office hours on performance days: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Thursday and Friday, 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM Saturday and 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM Sunday. Seton Hill’s Box Office is closed October 18, 19; November 24-28; December 11 – January 24; March 5-13; March 24-28. Closed for Season on May 7.
Seton Hill, chartered in 1918, is a coeducational Catholic liberal arts university with more than 30 undergraduate programs and 8 graduate programs, including an MBA. Seton Hill brings the world to its students through its distinguished lecturers and nationally and internationally renowned centers. For more information on Seton Hill please visit www.setonhill.edu or call 1-800-826-6234.