<p>This season at Cal State Fullerton:</p>
<p>Dead Man’s Cell Phone
Chemical Imbalance
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Wedding Singer
The Spoon River Project
The Diary of Anne Frank
Measure for Measure
Little Women</p>
<p>Since I’m a freshman, I’ll work backstage for everything up to The Wedding Singer. I’ll be auditioning for the rest of them though. :)</p>
<p>Dr. John,</p>
<p>So glad to see Otterbein’s doing Carnival. My son played Paul his senior year. Loved the show and it doesn’t seem to be performed very often. Will try to make the trip to Columbus to see your talented students perform.</p>
<p>USC School of Theatre shows:
Fall:
Moonchildren by Michael Weller (senior BFA)
Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl (BA only)
Mansfield Park by Willis Hall/Jane Austen (junior BFA)
Les Liasons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton (senior BFA)
The American Clock by Arthur Miller (BA only)
Wedding Band by Alice Childress (open cast)
Smash by Geoffrey Hatcher after George Bernard Shaw (BA only)
A Month in the Country by Turgenev (MFA second years)
Solo performance, dance show, opera</p>
<p>Spring:
Fortune is a Woman by Oliver Mayer & Angus Fletcher, The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt, and The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov (MFA third years)
James Joyce’s The Dead by Richard Nelson (junior BFAs)
Clown/Commedia (MFA second years)
Strike-Slip by Naomi Iizuka (BA only)
City of Angels by Larry Gelbart (open cast musical)
Vieux Carre by Tennessee Williams (BA only)
The Learned Ladies by Moliere (open cast)
Opera, solo performance, dance show</p>
<p>and one spring show still TBA for the sophomore BFAs. Also, the MFA playwrights will stage their shows in the spring. I think those shows are open to BAs and BFAs, don’t know about the rest of the school.</p>
<p>Student-organized productions:
BNT (Brand New Theatre) does a set of one-acts written, directed and performed by students each semester.</p>
<p>MTR (Musical Theatre Repertory) will be doing an all-female cabaret in the fall and The Drowsy Chaperone in the spring.</p>
<p>Slanderous Tongues Theatre will be doing Lysistrata by Aristophanes in the fall.</p>
<p>other ISPs (independent student productions) will be announced later, probably after the school year starts.</p>
<p>I didn’t know there was a play (musical?) of either A Prayer for Owen Meany or High Fidelity (two of my favorite books). Has anyone seen either, and if so are they well written?</p>
<p>So far the schools with 2011-2012 seasons posted to this thread include;</p>
<p>Ball State – #10
Cal State Fullerton – #41
Carnegie Mellon – #5
Coastal Carolina – #4, #35
Elon – #39
Hartt – #7
Indiana – #6
Ithaca – #24
James Madison University – #8
Northwestern (not including mainstage yet) – #25
Oklahoma City University – #27
Otterbein – #36
Penn State – #29
Roosevelt/CCPA – #17
Saint Edwards’ University – Post #1
Syracuse – #26
Temple – #23
UArts – #40
University of Michigan – #3
USC – #43
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point – #16</p>
<p>Simon Bent adapted A Prayer for Owen Meany for the stage about 10 years ago. The National Theatre did a wonderful production of the show but it seems that U.S. productions have not been as wonderful. I know there was a production done in Philadelphia a few years ago that got mixed reviews. My own opinion is that a part of the issue is the length of the play, ~3 hours, and the unwillingness, and inability, of many reviewers to look at a show in an unbiased fashion, with that knowledge ahead of time.</p>
<p>High Fidelity was/is a musical that was a huge flop on Broadway. It had very talented people involved but it just didn’t work onstage, unfortunately. Ben Brantley gave it a scathing review and it lasted less than three weeks.</p>
<p>I saw that production of Owen Meany in Philadelphia, at the Arden Theater. I loved the book and quite enjoyed the play. Three hours of a good thing is just fine with me!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I loved the production of Cider House Rules even though it was several nights long. Guess I can’t get too much of John Irving, so I doubt 3 hours of Owen Meany would feel too long to me.</p>
<p>Too bad High Fidelity was bad. It could be a fantastic musical in the right hands. Are there ever complete do-overs by a new creative team when a book adaptation fails?</p>
<p>High Fidelity was AWESOME. I was surprised when it wasn’t well received on Broadway-- I saw it in its out of town tryout over five years ago and still find songs from the show stuck in my head sometimes! I don’t even have the soundtrack, it was just that catchy (note the fierce creative team: hello, Tom Kitt, Amanda Green and David Lindsay-Abaire)!</p>
<p>Ok… thanks, now I’m excited to hear High Fidelity! I just downloaded it from the library and can’t wait to listen to it. I always love hearing a musical for the first time!!</p>
<p>Webster University 2011-12 Season:</p>
<p>FALL 2011</p>
<p>Top Girls
By Caryl Churchill</p>
<p>Carousel
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers</p>
<p>Hot L Baltimore
By Lanford Wilson</p>
<p>SPRING 2012</p>
<p>Hello Again
Music, Lyrics and Book by John LaChiusa
Based on La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler</p>
<p>Edgar Allan Poes Nevermore
Book by Grace Barnes
Music by Matt Conner
Lyrics from the writings of Edgar Allan Poe</p>
<p>100 Saints You Should Know
By Kate Fodor</p>
<p>Dinner With Friends
By Donald Margulies</p>
<p>Lady Windermeres Fan
By Oscar WIlde
Apr 25-29</p>
<p>The St. Louis Rep is housed in the Webster facility and students may audition for those shows as well…their season is:</p>
<p>Red
September 7October 2, 2011</p>
<p>God of Carnage
October 12November 6, 2011</p>
<p>The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
November 30December 23, 2011</p>
<p>Sunday in the Park with George
January 429, 2012</p>
<p>Race
February 8March 4, 2012</p>
<p>The Comedy of Errors
March 14April 8, 2012</p>
<p>The Studio Theatre series:</p>
<p>Circle Mirror Transformation
October 26November 13, 2011</p>
<p>A Steady Rain
January 18February 5, 2012</p>
<p>The Invisible Hand
March 725, 2012</p>
<p>Other student-directed/produced shows at USC this year will be Spring Awakening, The Producers, Dog Sees God, American Zion (student-written), and one other that I can’t remember, plus many more that have not yet been announced. Also, the Shakespearean group is creating a repertory company this fall to study the Bard more in-depth.</p>
<p>Adding the Mainstage productions for Northwestern University (hope I’ve gotten this right);</p>
<p>Mainstage;
… Rent
… Never The Sinner
… The Bluest Eye
… Spring Awakening
… Danceworks 2012
… The Little Prince
… Twelfth Night
… WaMu Show (original musical)</p>
<p>Dolphin Show (student produced);
… 42nd Street</p>
<p>Sit & Spin (student produced);
… Pippin
… Scorched
… A Perfect Wedding
… Current Nobody</p>
<p>Arts Alliance (student produced);
… The Drowsy Chaperone
… The History Boys
… The Visit
… SHOWDOWN! The Northwestern Epic Stunt Spectacular</p>
<p>Lovers & Madmen (student produced);
… The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
… I Love You Because
… Cymbeline
… The Arabian Nights
… The Marriage of Figaro
… Spring Awakening: Eine Kindertragödie
… Ten Day Shakespeare</p>
<p>Purple Crayon Players (student produced);
… Amber Waves
… Bocón!
… To Kill A Mockingbird
… On Beyond the Places You’ll Go, A Celebration of Seuss</p>
<p>WAVE (student produced);
… Early Fall “Incest Show”: Dream Play
… Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)
… Wonder of the World
… Cabaret
… Untitled Zombie Show</p>
<p>Jewish Theatre Ensemble (student produced);
… Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco
… Coming Soon in the Winter Louis
… Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire
… The Labor of Life by Hanoch Levin</p>
<p>That is a lot of student productions! How does that work? Are the students producing this part of the MT program, in a directing program? Is there a budget for these shows?Is the casting open to everyone? Is there time in the MT program to do these student productions?</p>
<p>theatremomma, I will let others from NU answer directly about NU but there are many colleges that have very active student run theater. For example, NYU has this (my own kid has been the musical director in such shows, as well as a performer at NYU) and some BA schools like Yale and Brown have lots of student run shows as well. This doesn’t have to do with a directing program, but rather just very active extracurricular theater that is run by students. Sometimes a school can give such student groups some money and also there is often some fundraising too. Typically the casting is open to anyone. You ask if there is time to do these student run productions if in a MT major. The way it is at many schools like NYU/Tisch and Northwestern is that not everyone will be cast in the mainstage shows and so there are a plethora of other production opportunities. Throughout college, my kid was always cast in something…some shows were faculty directed and some were student run productions. She tried out for all of these types of opportunities as she didn’t know what she would get into. Honestly, many student run productions are of a very high level and are fabulous experiences. In fact, if I were looking for a MT program, I would value one that not only had faculty directed mainstage shows, but also student run productions. My own kid got a lot out of both types of experiences.</p>
<p>@theatremomma – I hope someone with kids currently in the NU MT program can answer your questions. D starts in September so we don’t yet know how all of this works, but I think soozievt has it right. I know that NU is among the best-endowed schools in the country, so there is apparently a LOT of money available as grants for student projects. From what we’ve heard, there are usually around 60 productions on campus each year so this list isn’t complete. I’ve heard that D’s dorm has it’s own scene shop and theatre, plus rehearsal spaces for student theatre.</p>
<p>As soozievt says, there are apparently some big advantages to having so many projects underway on a campus. Not only do kids have ample opportunities to gain performance experience, but they also get to network with some of tomorrows best new directors, writers, music directors, designers AND producers. Plus they get to see a ton of material performed during the year. I think the Dolphin show is still considered one of the (if not the) biggest student-produced productions in the country. </p>
<p>One downside of a school having so many student-produced shows on campus is that (since none of the mainstage productions are posted) a YouTube search of a school can turn up some less-excellent work. ;-D</p>
<p>While I’m pretty sure any kid on campus can audition for every show, there is no graduate acting or MT program on campus, so I think all of the competition is undergrads.</p>
<p>Again, I hope someone with firsthand NU experience can chime in with better info!</p>
<p>I agree that when working on student run productions, great networking occurs. I find that my D’s peers from college are working in many facets of theater and she networks with them. She has hired directors from those with whom she went to school and vice versa with those who are writers or directors asking her to act or sing in their productions (this is all AFTER graduating). Student run work was a positive aspect of the college years.</p>
<p>I will agree with Susan that student run productions are a positive! Personally, I’d be hesitant about attending a school that does not have student run productions available.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Northwestern, but at USC, where we obviously put on a lot of student-directed shows, I’m pretty sure all of the BAs are required to take a directing class, THTR 305a. The musical theatre ones tend to be directed etc by MT minors. The straight plays are directed by all sorts of School of Theatre students. I haven’t seen tons of ISPs (student-directed shows), but the ones I have seen have all been quite good.</p>
<p>Pace University 2011-2012 Mainstage Season</p>
<p>Fall 2011:</p>
<p>Sept. 28-Oct. 2- The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien, Directed by Jennifer Holmes
Oct. 19-23 - Floyd Collins; Directed by Amy Rogers & Music Direction by Rob Meffe
Nov. 9-13 -Elephant’s Graveyard by George Brant, student-directed mainstage
Nov. 16–20 -Kiss Me, Kate; Directed by Bob Cline; Music Direction by Mark Fifer; Choreography by Rhonda Miller
Dec. 15-18 -These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich, Directed by Dr. Ruis Woertendyke
Dec. 18- 21 - Directing Festival</p>
<p>This season discludes all student run production companies</p>
<p>Spring Season TBA</p>
<p>UPDATE to James Madison University’s season posted originally in #8 – instead of Cradle Will Rock as the fall musical we will be presenting the American premiere of A Girl Called Vincent music by Carmel Dean, lyrics by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Carmel will be coming to campus for a short residency to work with students on the production. </p>
<p>James Madison University Masterpiece Theatre Season is (fall) Our Country’s Good [10/4- 10/9], A Girl Called Vincent [10/19 - 10/22], Dead Man’s Cell Phone [11/1 - 11/6], (spring) Sweeney Todd [2/21 - 2/26], and Servant of Two Masters [4/24 - 4/28]</p>
<p>The fall student directed season is Macbeth [9/13 - 9/17], Lucky Stiff [9/29 -10/4], The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds [11/8 - 11/12], and Director’s Fest (a festival of student directed 10-minute plays) [12/1 - 12/3]</p>
<p>The spring student directed season will not be set until mid-October. The students go through a proposal process the semester before for student directing slots.</p>