University Theatre has a few ambitious projects planned for fall term, as well as some smaller, more personal pieces aimed at students and the general public alike.
The season began with four performances of last year’s popular student production, “This Ship of Fools,” which closed at the Robinson Theatre on Oct. 4. The next major performance at the Robinson will be Dale Wasserman’s classic stage adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which will be performed on Nov. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21 and 22.
“Cuckoo’s Nest,” the story of a rebellious mental ward patient and his battle against bureaucracy, is being produced in conjunction with an academic symposium on Kesey’s work that will take place at the University. Along with the play, there will be visits from a variety of noted writers reading Kesey’s work, and a special appearance by the Merry Pranksters on Oct. 15 at the EMU Amphitheater. Ticket prices for “Cuckoo’s Nest” range from $5 to $12.
Later in the school year, the Robinson Theatre will produce “Wild Nights With Emily,” which will run through February into March, and Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in May.
“Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief” will be performed as part of the University Theatre’s second season, which consists of three to five plays a year performed at the Arena Theatre. A comedic feminist reworking of Shakespeare’s “Othello,” “Desdemona” was penned by Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Paula Vogel. It takes the female lead in “Othello” and tells the story from her perspective in order to examine the role of women throughout history. It will be staged for seven performances between Oct. 29 and Nov. 8.
Other second-season plays this school year include: “A Thread in the Dark” in February and “Fuddy Meers” in April. Ticket prices for all second-season productions range between $4 and $6. All shows are at 8 p.m.
Three plays will be performed at the Pocket Playhouse between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 as part of New Voices, the University’s showcase of student-written productions. The plays selected this year are an untitled piece by Matt Chorpenning, “Between the Lines” by Dinae E. Horne and “Need” by Maximillian McCall. Tickets are $3 and are available at the door only.
Also showing at the Pocket Playhouse, a one man-piece entitled “Good Little Boys,” will be presented. Written, directed and performed by University undergraduate J. Nick Dickert, the performance will run from Oct. 16 through Oct.18. Showtime is 5 p.m. with a suggested $1 donation.
Tickets for University Theatre shows are available at the University Ticket Office, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts and at the University Theatre Box Office in the lobby of the Robinson Theatre.