The Pierce College Theatre Department is entering its 61st season, and is set to bring two plays and a musical.
“We always try to balance our season when we’re deciding plays. It’s always all of our full-time faculty making the decision but the whole department gives input,” Theatre Manager Michael Sande said. “For me when it comes to giving input I give it from the audience’s point of view. I do that because it’s my job to put butts in seats.”
According to Sande, a variety of genres is key to bringing in audiences.
“We don’t want all comedies. We don’t all want Shakespeare. We don’t want all contemporary. We try to keep it as a mixture,” Sande said. “I personally look at it as a four course meal. I always try to keep it different”.
The first play is Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, directed by Professor Shaheen Vaaz.
“It’s a statement to the conservative politics of Margaret Thatcher,” theatre major Bobby Johnson said. “I think being able to see a show in today’s political climate really goes to show how timeless this play is.”
Top Girls will open the season on October 19th and it will run until October 28th, 2018 at the Dow Arena Theatre.
The next play will be Christopher Durang’s Durang/Durang.
“This is pure unadulterated classic American Comedy. It’s a parody of the popular comedies of the time,” Johnson said.
The Anthony Cantrell directed Durang/Durang is set to open November 30th and will be running through December 30th at the Arts Mainstage.
The third play is set to be William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on March 21st, 2019 at the Dow Arena Theatre. A director has yet to be chosen.
Closing the season is going to be Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. “I loved Hamilton and am super excited to audition for this,” Johnson said.
In the Heights will be directed by Shaheen Vaas and opens April 26th, 2019, and set to close the season on May 5th 2019.
Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com, with a discount offered for purchasing tickets for the season.
