2009-2010 Season Show List

Brighton Beach Memoirs
A Coming of Age Comedy by Neil Simon
Directed by Dean Yohnk
Oct. 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31 at 7:30 p.m.;
Oct. 23 at 10:00 a.m.; Oct. 25 at 2:00 p.m.
Communication Arts Theater

Set in 1937 in the midst of the Great Depression, Neil Simon’s most celebrated comedy is the autobiographical memoir of Eugene Jerome, a young teen living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn walk-up. Dreaming of baseball and girls, Eugene must cope with adolescent “challenges” while also dealing with a family that is fighting hard times and a world that is becoming increasingly less innocent. This bittersweet and humorous story has amazing relevance for today – and offers us an optimistic hope for a better tomorrow. This show contains some adult language.

All My Sons

A Classic American Drama by Arthur Miller
Directed by Jamie Cheatham
Dec. 4, 5, 10, 11 & 12 at 7:30 p.m.;
Dec. 5 at 2:00 p.m.; Dec. 11 at 10:00 a.m.
Augie Wegner Studio Theater

A classic American drama, Arthur Miller's play deals with fathers and sons, truth and deception, responsibility and the costs of war.  Set shortly after World War II, two families struggle to recover from the loss of loved ones and the guilt of war profiteering. Amidst all this turmoil, two young people try to find hope in a brighter future and move forward with their lives. It seems like the perfect time to revisit this Miller classic.

Cloud Nine

An Absurd Tragicomedy by Caryl Churchill
Directed by Lisa Kornetsky
Feb. 26, 27, Mar. 4, 5, & 6 at 7:30 p.m.;
Feb. 28 at 2:00 p.m.; Mar. 5 at 10:00 a.m.
Augie Wegner Studio Theater

AUDIENCE GUIDE

Cloud 9 is a wild, seriocomic ride from 1880’s colonial Africa to 1979 London, with characters who traverse 100 years while only aging 25.  Dealing with post-colonialism, sexual repression, and gender roles, the play speaks about accepting people who are different and opening one’s heart to self-exploration.  While the message is serious, the structure and dialogue blend farce and pathos into an exciting and very funny, unconventional piece of theatre. This play contains mature themes, language, and situations.

 As You Like It

A Romantic Comedy by William Shakespeare
Directed by Jamie Cheatham
Apr. 23, 24, 29, 30 & May 1 at 7:30 p.m.;
Apr. 25 at 2:00 p.m.; April 30 at 10:00 a.m.
Communication Arts Theater

FreshINK Staged Reading Series

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a
Teenage Blockhead

By Bert C. Royal,
Directed by Michael Clickner
Sept. 18, 19 & 20 at 7:30 p.m.
New Union Cinema Theatre

An "unauthorized parody," the play imagines characters from the popular comic strip Peanuts as teenagers. Drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity are among the issues covered in this very contemporary comic drama. Since premiering in 2004 at the New York International Fringe Festival, Dog Sees God has received dozens of national and international theatre awards. This play contains mature themes, language, and situations.

Lydia

By Octavio Solis,
Directed by Lisa Kornetsky
Nov. 13, 14 & 15 at 7:30 p.m.
New Union Cinema Theatre

In this powerful 2008 drama by Latino American playwright Octavio Solis the Flores family welcomes Lydia, an undocumented maid, into their El Paso home to care for their daughter Ceci, who was tragically disabled in a car accident on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Lydia's immediate and seemingly miraculous bond with the girl sets the entire family on a mysterious and shocking journey of discovery. Lydia is an unflinching and deeply emotional portrait of a Mexican immigrant family caught in a web of dark secrets.
This play contains mature themes, language, and situations.

In the Blood

By Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Dean Yohnk
Feb. 12, 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.
New Union Cinema Theatre

This powerful drama by Suzan-Lori Parks, winner for the Pulitzer Price in Drama for Topdog/Underdog, explores the challenges and realities faced by a homeless woman with five illegitimate children from different fathers. Based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic American novel “The Scarlet Letter,” In the Blood invites us into the life of a modern-day “Hester” who is victimized by a society that labels her as unworthy and undeserving of justice. This play contains mature themes, language, and situations.

Katrina: The K Word

By Lisa S. Brenner and Suzanne Trauth
Directed by Virginia Hartley
TBD at 7:30 p.m.
New Union Cinema Theatre

Hurricane Katrina and its devastating impact on the lives of those along the gulf coast has come to represent the failure of many established American agencies and social systems unable to meet the needs of millions of displaced citizens. In the midst of the chaos following the storm, many voices of survival and hope arose from the flood waters. This docudrama based on actual interviews conducted with survivors of Katrina will allow you to see this profound event from multiple perspectives and viewpoints.

Special Theatrical Events

The Billy Shakespeare Project
Created by Kevin Rich from the Plays of William Shakespeare
Dec. 18 & 19 at 7:30 p.m. – New Union Cinema Theatre

This original new production is being created by Guest Artist Kevin Rich with members of the UW-Parkside Theatre Company. Using selected plays of William Shakespeare – including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar – as well as historical documents related to his life and times, the company will create an eclectic theatrical event that will introduce audiences to the life, soul, and art of the world’s greatest playwright. A great choice for young audiences!

Drama Club Production: TBA

Jan. 28, 29, 30 & 31 at 7:30 p.m. – New Union Cinema Theatre

The UW-Parkside Drama Club joins forces to present their own exciting production, to be announced.

For more complete details, continue to visit our website at
www.uwp.edu Keyword: theatre