Seton Hill University Theatre Announces 2007 – 2008 Season
“Nickel and Dimed” by Joan Holden
Based on “Nickel and Dimed, On (Not) Getting by In America,” by Barbara Ehrenreich
(All incoming freshman and many faculty, staff and returning students read “Nickel and Dimed” for Seton Hill’s 2007 Summer Reading Project. Everyone who read the book will gather for a campus-wide book discussion on Thursday, September 6 at noon.) Following the success of the best selling book, this adaptation by Joan Holden brings the struggle of living on minimum wage to the stage when social critic Ehrenreich goes undercover as one of America’s millions of working poor. From dingy diners to “Mall-mart,” working as many as three jobs at once, Barbara writes with gentle humor and great admiration the real subject of her story: the victims and dreamers that become her friends and heroes. When the end of her assignment nears, Ehrenreich becomes deeply and dangerously personal with poverty. (Rare instances of adult language.) Performances: October 5 – 10:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., October 6 – 8:00 p.m., October 7 – 2:00 p.m., October 9 and 10 – 10:30 a.m., October 11 – 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., October 12 and 13 – 8:00 p.m.
“The Seven Deadly Sins: Vice and Virtue in Music and Movement” An Original Dance, Music, and Theatre Design Collaborative Event
Back by popular demand, this year’s dance concert has been super-sized and spectacularized. Exploring the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins, Seton Hill’s dance and theatre design faculty collaborate with students on an original feast of music and movement that is pure performance gluttony. Thus spoke Pope Gregory the Great, “certain vices cloak themselves to our eyes under the garb of virtues, and come to us as it were with a smooth face...” Each of these seven smooth faces has launched a thousand slips that have inspired winners and sinners, writers and artists throughout time, including the likes of Dante, Bosch, Brecht, and the Seton Hill Theatre. Follow these footsteps if you dare. But beware – there’s a fine fiery line between inspiration, temptation, damnation… Performances: November 30 and December 1 – 8:00 p.m., December 2 – 2:00 p.m., December 4 and 5 – 10:30 a.m., December 6 – 8:00 p.m.
“The Merry Wives of Windsor” by William Shakespeare
It’s rumored this comedy was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth herself. Seems the Queen was a big fan of would-be philanderer Falstaff, who charmed audiences in two other Shakespearean plays. Now, as fond as Falstaff is of the female form, his real pursuits are not so much the corset laces as the purse strings. But his chicanery is no match for these wily wives. They’re on to his act, and what follows is an Elizabethan blast! Performances: February 29 – 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., March 1 – 8:00 p.m., March 2 – 2:00 p.m., March 4 and 5 – 10:30 a.m., March 6 – 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and March 7 and 8 – 8:00 p.m.
“Side by Side by Sondheim”
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Music by Jule Styne, Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Sondheim. Continuity by Ned Sherrin.
Many of Stephen Sondheim’s early musicals met with mixed responses from critics and audiences alike. But his lyrics were already a success in the hits “Gypsy” and “West Side Story.” He continued to gain a ferocious following with his Tony-Winning musicals “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music,” “Into the Woods,” and others, many of which have enjoyed recent Broadway revivals. With the best hits from his hit shows like “Company,” and “Follies,” this revue-styled musical will send everyone home singing Sondheim’s tunes and praises. His sophisticated and stirring music and lyrics capture the intricacies of relationships and the struggle of the human spirit. Don’t worry, there are plenty of funny, in fact, hilarious moments as Sondheim’s opening lyrics promise: “something for everyone – a comedy tonight.” Performances: April 25 – 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., April 26 – 8:00 p.m., April 27 – 2:00 p.m., April 29 – 10:30 a.m., May 1, 2, and 3 – 8:00 p.m.
Venue/Ticket Information: All Seton Hill Theatre performances are held in Reeves Theatre on Seton Hill University’s Greensburg, Pa. campus. Reeves Theatre is a disabled accessible and climate-controlled facility. Parking is free. Single admission tickets are $12. Seton Hill students (with valid ID) can purchase tickets for $5. Students from any school can purchase rush tickets five minutes before curtain, subject to availability, for $5 (with valid school ID). Groups of 16 or more can purchase tickets at a rate of $10 each with a reservation and advance payment. Purchase a subscription and receive one ticket to each of the four productions for $40. Order tickets by phone: 724-838-4241, by e-mail: boxoffice@setonhill.edu, or online: www.zaptix.com.
Box Office Hours (by telephone): Beginning September 4th, 2007, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; extended hours on performance days: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
Talk Back Sessions provide opportunities for audience members to engage in dialogue with special guests, performers, Seton Hill faculty, and other audience members about the aesthetic, political, and cultural issues raised by the performance. Talk Backs are offered after some Sunday afternoon matinee and second Friday performances of each production; groups interested in additional dates may request them through Seton Hill’s box office, 724-838-4241.
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 by calling the Seton Hill Theatre box office at 724-838-4241.
Harlan Gallery, a professional art exhibition space located near Reeves Theatre at Seton Hill, will be open prior to all Theatre performances. For more information on Harlan Gallery, visit www.setonhill.edu or contact Gallery Director Carol Brode at 724-830-1071 or brode@setonhill.edu.
The Seton Hill University Theatre Program has a long history of educating theatre majors for careers in the professional theatre while playing a vital role in the educational life of the campus. Seton Hill’s Theatre Program offers four full-length productions (as well as a number of shorter works) each year that generate audiences of over 3,500 and speak to topics addressed in courses across Seton Hill’s curriculum. For more information on the Theatre Program at Seton Hill, please visit www.setonhill.edu or call 724-830-0300.