Boeing Boeing – September 29 – October 2
It’s the 1960s and self-styled Lothario, Bernard, has three fiancées: one German, one Italian, and one American. All three are beautiful airline hostesses with frequent layovers. He keeps “one up, one down, and one pending” until the new and speedier Boeing brings unexpected schedule changes. When all three end up in Paris and Bernard’s apartment at the same time, Bernard needs the help of his timid friend, Robert, as he tries to remember which lie was told to which woman in this hilarious farce.
Buried Child – November 16 – 20
Dodge and Halie are barely hanging on to their farmland and their sanity while looking after their two wayward grown sons Tilden and Bradley. When grandson Vince arrives with his girlfriend, no one seems to recognize him, and confusion abounds. As Vince tries to make sense of the chaos, the rest of the family dances around a deep, dark secret. Buried Child is a poetic play by Sam Shepard depicting the fragmentation of the American nuclear family in a context of disappointment and disillusionment with American mythology and the American dream, the 1970s rural economic slowdown, and the breakdown of traditional family structures.
Noises Off – February 23 – 26
Another “play within a play,” and this one centers on an ambitious director and his troupe of mediocre actors. The cast and crew are putting together a silly comedy titled, Nothing On – a single-set farce in which lovers frolic, doors slam, clothes are tossed away, and embarrassing hijinks ensue. The three acts of Noises Off expose different phases of the disastrous show. Act One shows us behind the scenes during rehearsal. Act Two lets us go backstage during a matinee performance. Act Three visits the show during a delightfully ruined performance several months later. If you have never experienced theater as a participant, Noises Off is a hilarious, sex-farce romp. But for those who “tread the boards” Noises Off might very well be the funniest play ever written.
Urinetown; The Musical – April 27 – 30
2003 Tony Award winner for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. With music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotisis, and book by Kotisis, Urinetown is a satirical look at power and capitalism. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides he’s had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them to freedom. Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, Urinetown provides a fresh perspective of one of America’s greatest art forms.
Visit www.avila.edu for tickets or call 816.501.3699
Looking forward to this season from my alma mater’s theatre department. Sounds like fun.