Greetings Friends of Ohio State Theatre Here we are greeting the new academic year with an innovative program of live performance. From the Lab Series’ wide-ranging offerings of student-generated work to our ambitious six-play season, we continue to offer the university and Columbus community-at-large a variety unrivalled in our capital city. We begin with our second Raw Theatre production: a collection of short plays under the title of Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. This importantly topical production is uniquely staged throughout the Drake Performance and Event Center in a site-specific mode. The Big Ten Theatre Consortium new play commission Good Kids by Naomi Iizuka is the Ohio premiere of this relevant work that examines sexual assault amongst adolescents. Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People (1882) could be considered the first play to address environmental issues that are pressing concerns of today. Don’t miss the opportunity to take part in our annual symposium: “Responsibility, Morality and The Costs of War: PTSD, Moral Injury and Beyond” with its guest artists, speakers and opportunities to engage with veterans. While our fall offerings pose questions about ongoing issues today, our spring season embraces the classical with contemporary renderings that all toy with the metatheatrical. Our Shakespeare School Tour begins at the Lincoln Theatre before visiting central Ohio schools. We began our Shakespeare tours the 2010-11 season with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and we are delighted to return with this popular work. The recent play Stupid F—ing Bird takes Chekhov’s celebrated Seagull and turns it on its head with an outrageous comic version. We conclude our season with the rare staging of The Coast of Illyria (1949), Dorothy Parker’s dramatic comedy. Best known for her comic wit and short stories, Parker looks back to events in the early 19th century. We continue to feature new moving image works by students in our annual Digi-Eye: Film/Video Showcase. So what a season my friends! See you there.
Lesley Ferris, Interim Chair Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor of Theatre
photo: The Norwegians Autumn 2014
photo: In Here Out There Autumn 2014
TICKETS 2015-2016 MAINSTAGE SINGLE TICKETS General Public $20 Ohio State Faculty, Staff and Alumni Association $18 Senior Citizens $18 Students $15 Children (K-12) $15 Fall Single Tickets on sale Sept. 8, 2015 Spring Single Tickets on sale Jan. 11, 2016
SPECIAL PRICING A Midsummer Night’s Dream on-sale Jan. 11, 2016 General Public $18 Ohio State Faculty, Staff and Alumni Association $12 Senior Citizens $12 Students $10 Children (K-12) $5
2015 – 2016 SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS 6 TICKETS TO BE USED VIRTUALLY ANY WAY YOU LIKE! Box office opens Sept. 8 General Public $80 Ohio State Faculty, Staff and Alumni Association $72 Senior Citizens $72 Students/Children (K-12) $60 Contact the Ohio State Theatre Box Office by phone at (614) 292-2295, via email at theatre-tix@osu.edu, or in person in the Drake Performance and Event Center, 1849 Cannon Dr. Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
AUTUMN 2015 The Lab Series is a student-driven, department-nurtured production series. Productions can occur in a variety of campus spaces, including the New Works Lab. Emphasis is on innovative work that functions on a zero budget model. The pieces presented will include a mix of student written pieces, new renderings of classic or obscure works, and community-building events. Performances begin at 7 p.m. and are free, first-come, first-served.
THE LAB SERIES Baltimore by Kirsten Greenidge Tuesday, Sept. 8 Cold reading
DOUBLE BILL Monday, Sept. 14 to Tuesday, Sept. 15 My Life is On the Refrigerator by Myia Eren To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Elisabeth Rogge Hold Please! A staged reading by Corey Lipkins Jr. Monday, Sept. 28 to Tuesday, Sept. 29 Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind by The Neo-Futurists Monday, Oct. 12 to Tuesday, Oct. 13
DOUBLE BILL Monday, Nov. 9 to Tuesday, Nov. 10 Methods & Procedures of Womanhood: An Evening of Poetry & Storytelling by Brandi Lyons The Detox Game by Roxy Knepp Iris and Witness by Kelly Moyer Monday, Nov. 23 to Tuesday, Nov. 24 These Little Wings by Cecelia Bellomy Monday, Dec. 7 to Tuesday, Dec. 8
10-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL Monday, Jan. 25 to Tuesday, Jan. 26
The Phantom of the Radio by Eduardo Lozano and John Vincent Quigley Monday, Oct. 26 to Tuesday, Oct. 27 FOR DETAILS ABOUT THE SPRING 2016 LAB SERIES VISIT THEATRE.OSU.EDU/LABSERIES
photo: Henry V Spring 2015
AUTUMN 2015 Raw Theatre — Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays Nine short plays written by Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moises Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, Jose Rivera, Paul Rudnick and Doug Wright Directed by Jennifer Schlueter and Karie Miller
Drake Performance and Event Center Wednesday, Sept. 30 to Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Department of Theatre opens its season with a hilarious and heartfelt collection of new works written by eight of the nation’s best playwrights. Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays, which will be staged as site-specific and immersive vignettes throughout Drake Performance and Event Center, explores the risk of commitment, the terror of forever and the indelible power of love. Audiences will move throughout the building for nine short plays and are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes. Recommended if you like: Neil Patrick Harris, Tig Notaro, catching the bouquet, justice and cake.
Good Kids By Naomi Iizuka Directed by Mandy Fox
Roy Bowen Theatre Wednesday, Oct. 21 to Saturday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 to Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov, 1 at 3 p.m. Commissioned by the theatre departments of the Big Ten universities, Good Kids, by Naomi Iizuka, is loosely based on the events of the 2012 Steubenville, Ohio rape case. The play asks, “How can this happen? What fosters a culture where sexual assault is prevalent? How has social media affected culpability?” A candid look at sexual assault on college campuses, Good Kids will keep the conversation going long after the play has ended.
An Enemy of the People By Henrik Ibsen, in a version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz Directed by Lesley Ferris
Thurber Theatre Thursday, Nov. 5 to Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 to Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. Power. Money. Morality. When Dr. Thomas Stockmann learns that the famous and financially successful baths in his home town are contaminated, he insists they be shut down for expensive repairs. Ridiculed and persecuted by the community for his honesty, he is declared an “enemy of the people.” Truth and honor are pitched against wild ambition and corruption in Ibsen’s emotional maelstrom. The play, written in 1882 by the “father of modern drama”, is as relevant today as it was over century ago and serves as a theatrical touchstone for today’s ongoing concerns about our endangered environment.
Symposium: Responsibility, Morality, and the Costs of War Free and open to the public; No tickets required
Drake Performance and Event Center and Wexner Center for the Arts Thursday, Nov. 12 to Saturday, Nov. 14 The Responsibility, Morality, and the Costs of War symposium blends performing and visual arts with leading research to explore the costs of war. Renowned Czech designer Simona Rybáková leads the creation of a performance/installation and delivers the Ohio State Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute lecture. Jonathan Shay, acclaimed author of Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming, delivers the symposium’s keynote address. Emmy and Independent Spirit award-winning filmmaker Heather Courtney screens her film Where Soldiers Come From. Kevin McClatchy performs his new solo play, Scrap Heap, about a Special Forces veteran with PTSD.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! Save over 20 percent by purchasing a flexible Season Voucher — that’s like getting two tickets for free! Exchange the voucher any way you wish during our 2015 — 2016 season. Each voucher can be exchanged for six tickets for any show. Get two tickets for three performances or get one ticket for each of six different performances ... your choice!
IT’S SIMPLE Once you receive your voucher, you can exchange it for tickets by calling the Ohio State Theatre Box Office, stopping by the box office in person or by emailing theatre-tix@osu.edu. We will hold your tickets for you; just stop by the express pick-up table in the lobby before the show.
ORDERING YOUR VOUCHERS To purchase Season Vouchers, please fill out the following form and mail to: Ohio State Theatre to Season Vouchers 1849 Cannon Dr. Columbus, OH 43210-1208 Or simply call our Box Office Manager at (614) 292-7258 and pay by phone with your American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa or Buck ID. Please note: $5 service fee on Season Voucher orders.
SEASON VOUCHER ORDER FORM NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP PHONE (DAY)
(EVENING)
E-MAIL ADDRESS
I would like to order:
Quantity
Total
General Public
x $80
Ohio State Faculty, Staff
x $72
Alumni Association member
x $72
Senior Citizen
x $72
Student
x $60
Discounted Ohio State parking pass (per event)
x $5
Tax Deductible donation to join Friends of Ohio State Theatre Service Charge
$5.00
Total Payment PAYMENT ENCLOSED IS MY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER MADE PAYABLE TO THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY CHARGE MY
VISA
MASTERCARD
DISCOVER
AMERICAN EXPRESS
BUCK ID (19 DIGIT # )
NUMBER EXPIRATION DATE
SIGNATURE
*IF YOU KNOW THE PERFORMANCES YOU WISH TO ATTEND NOW, FEEL FREE TO INCLUDE THOSE ON A SEPARATE SHEET, OTHERWISE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PACKET WILL INCLUDE ORDERING INFORMATION.
photo:Trouble in Mind Spring 2015
SPRING 2016
DIGI-EYE: FILM/VIDEO SHOWCASE Free and open to the public; No tickets required
Thurber Theatre Friday, Feb. 5 to Saturday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Department of Theatre presents an evening of new visual digital media works by undergraduate and graduate students. The screening of narrative, documentary and experimental shorts will be followed by a brief Q&A session with the creators of the work.
Ohio State Shakespeare School Tour:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare Adapted for Young Audiences by Robin Post Directed by Melissa Lee
Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St. Friday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a light-hearted comedy of love, magic and mayhem. Following the adventures of two young couples, a bumbling troupe of actors and mischievous fairies, this 75-minute version is intended to introduce young audiences to the joys of Shakespeare and his language. Ohio State Theatre returns to the Lincoln following the success of last year’s Henry V. In association with CAPA, the Arts Initiative at Ohio State and Royal Shakespeare Company partnership.
SPRING 2016
Stupid F---ing Bird By Aaron Posner Directed by Maureen Ryan
Roy Bowen Theatre Wednesday, March 2 to Friday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 6 at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 to Thursday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. Stupid F---ing Bird is an irreverent, contemporary, metatheatrical, interactive, savvy, outrageous adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull. Playwright Aaron Posner honors Chekhov’s revolutionary artistry by pushing the boundaries of Chekhov’s timehonored play, which poses the question: are new forms even possible? There’s lots of love too, crazy, unrequited, to-die-for love.
The Coast of Illyria
Thurber Theatre Thursday, April 14 to Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 19 to Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Based on actual events, and set in the early 19th century, The Coast of Illyria is a poignant dramatic comedy about art, addiction, mental illness and the enduring bond between brother and sister. When Mary Lamb returns home from an infamous London asylum where she’s been confined since murdering her mother, her adoring younger brother Charles must decide whether he will marry the love of his life, the stylish young actress Fanny Kelly, or remain by Mary’s side in case her illness returns.
photo: MFA Acting Solo Festival, Spring 2015
By Dorothy Parker and Ross Evans Adapted by Jennifer Schlueter Directed by Shilarna Stokes
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“PAY BY PLATE” PARKING
When you purchase time from the machine, you will enter your license plate number; your vehicle will be registered for the time purchased. You do not need to display a receipt on your dash. Coins and credit/debit cards accepted.
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During performances you may park in designated lots indicated on the map. CampusParc has pay machines in several campus lots. Unless you have an OSU parking permit, parking is $1.75 an hour or a $7 flat fee Monday–Friday 4 p.m.–3 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 12a.m.–12a.m.
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Check our website for show runtimes, added two days before the show opens. If you have questions, contact the Theatre Box Office at (614) 292-2295 or visit campusparc.com. Thurber Theatre, Roy Bowen Theatre and the New Works Lab: The closest parking lot is directly across the street from Drake Performance and Event Center, but fills up early and should be avoided after 7 p.m. The next best location is north of Morrill Tower (adjacent to Ohio Stadium).
Parking
Drake Performance and Event Center Thurber Theatre Roy Bowen Theatre New Works Lab
Parking information for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lincoln Theatre) can be found at lincolntheatrecolumbus.com. Campus Construction: There is an ongoing list of campus construction projects that may impact traffic and parking. Please visit go43210.osu.edu for information.
02800 011000 61801 11624
Department of Theatre 1089 Drake Performance and Event Center 1849 Cannon Dr. Columbus, Ohio 43210 theatre.osu.edu
Cover image: City of Angels Autumn 2014 Production photography by Matthew J. Hazard
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
non-profit org. U. S. postage PAID columbus, ohio permit no. 711