Arabian Nights
Written by Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Katharine Noon
Presented on Oct. 1-3, 7-10 (8pm), Strub Theatre
The Arabian Nights is a storybook world come to life. Through image, words and music this sensual, passionate and funny adaptation is a celebration of the healing powers of storytelling and the common threads that bind humanity together.
Buried Child
Written by Sam Shepard
Presented on Nov. 12-14, 18-21 (8pm), Barnelle Theatre
What would you do if you came home after a few years away and no one in your family claimed to know who you were? How much power does a family have to mold who you are? What effect does the world have on us? Do the consequences of my actions affect just me, or also those around me? Sam Shepard's Buried Child, the Pulitzer Prize winning play of 1979, is a look in on an American family with a little secret.
Playwright's Center Stage
Event #1 - On The Front Line: Three Generations of Soldiers' Voices
Directed by Judith Royer, C.S.J.
Edited by Doris Baizley
Co-sponsored by the Bellarmine Forum
Presented on Oct. 29 (7:30pm), Murphy Hall
The stories of a diverse group of California veterans from World War II through Iraq: gathered from interviews by Los Angeles actors/writers and told in a dramatic narrative to be shared with the veterans themselves and with us, the citizens they served. Their experiences touch on issues of equal rights, self-identity, and the long-lasting consequences of war in the hearts and minds of the soldiers who fought in them. This project is made possible, in part, by the grant from the California Council for the Humanities as part of the Council's statewide California Stories initiative.
Followed by a reception and panel discussion with Dr. Ronald K. Barrett (Psychology), Marsha Oseas (VA Hospital, Volunteer Trainer), Dr. Lawrence Tritle (History), the project Veterans and Company.
Event #2 - Artists Speak: Student Performances and Exhibits
Presented on Oct. 31 (2pm), Murphy Hall
In this ninth annual presentation of "Artists Speak," LMU students gifted in creative writing, dance, theatre arts, music, film, visual arts, and other endeavors share their responses to this years Bellarmine Forum topic, "Vulnerabilities: Signposts of the Human Condition" as issues which impact themselves, their communities, and the world. This event showcases performances and exhibits of original works reflecting the gifts, creativity and passion of student artists at LMU.
Event #3 - The Dryer's Hand
Written by Doris Baizley
Presented on Nov. 23 (7:30pm), Barnelle Theatre
Taking off from a line in The Merchant of Venice ("an argosy he hath... at Mexico") the play asks, what was going on in Mexico to delay the Venetian merchant's ship? There's trouble in the Mexican merchant's family, not to mention an Inquisition, a caste system, and fierce competition in global trade.
(Post-play panel and discussion with the writer and company following the performance)
Event #4 - Anatomy of a Brain Injury
Written by Laurel Ollstein
Presented on Dec. 7 (7:30pm), Barnelle Theatre
A dark comedy about a family of narcissistic therapists and their reactions to a bad car accident.
Stages of AIDS 2009
Presented on Dec. 1 (8pm), St. Roberts Auditorium
In support of World AIDS Day.
Taming of the Shrew
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kevin Wetmore
Presented on Mar. 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, Strub Theatre
Shakespeare's classic battle of the sexes! Christopher Sly wants to be entertained and wants women to stay in their place... But who is taming whom in this reimagining of Kate and Petruchio.
Kiss Me Kate
Written by Sam and Bella Spewack
Music composed by Cole Porter
Directed by Diane Benedict
Presented on Mar. 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, Strub Theatre
This musical comedy masterpiece took its inspiration from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. The story recounts the backstage and onstage antics of two feuding romantic couples during the touring production of Shrew, and the bickering couples' offstage disputes ultimately entangle them with a pair of unexpectedly erudite gangsters and a megalomaniacal U.S. Army general. Cole Porter's most successful musical, the original production of Kiss Me Kate opened on Broadway at the New Century Theatre on December 30, 1948 and ran for 1,077 performances. It garnered five Tony Awards in 1949, the same number the revival claimed in 2000, including the Tony-winner for Best Revival. Sparkling with classic Cole Porter songs, Kiss Me Kate epitomizes the Broadway musical comedy at its irresistable best.
Student One Acts
Presented on Apr. 28-30, May 1 (8pm), Barnelle Theatre