Anderson Theatre’s <i>Impresario From Smyrna</i>

Following an opening weekend which featured a sold-out opening night, The Impresario from Smyrna, Anderson Theatre’s season finale, presents its final two performances May 8 at 8:00 p.m. and May 9 at 2:00 p.m.

The Impresario’s performances lived up to its billing as a laugh-out-loud comedy and parody on the life of the artist in 18th century Venice. From the script adapted by Director Henry MacCarthy, to the acting, the costumes, make-up and set, The Impresario from Smyrna is a “prima” extravaganza that delights the audience from the opening insult to the final twist of the knife.

First produced in Venice in 1761, The Impresario From Smyrna follows the antics of a group of self-absorbed, avaricious, naive and manipulative musicians, agents and benefactors in Venice in the 18th century. At the same time, subtly, it parodies the opera and theatre stages of the era. From the opening act, the audience has front row seats to this hilarious inside look at behind-the-scene rivalry, jealousy, diva fits, casting couches and audition gossip. And yet, The Impresario From Smyrna is also about the beautiful vulnerability of the romanticized artistic personae that surrounds stage life. In brief, it’s everything we love and love to hate about the theatre.

The script is a version specially adapted by MacCarthy based on an English translation by Clifford Bax, a Spanish translation by Orlando Arocha, and the original text by Carlo Goldoni. With period costumes designed by Andrea Gross, set design by Micah Maatman and lighting design by senior theatre major Dana Rabe, the audience is drawn into a truly magical theatre experience.

Working with a piece such as this is a great learning opportunity for the students involved. Not only do they have to perform a period piece, but they are also acting as “performers” and investigating the medium of theatre itself. Students must also sing as part of this production. J. Gawff, music director of Opera Omaha was in residence at Gustavus to work with the actors on the ensemble numbers. In addition, Heather K Fleming, Wig Master for The Actors Theatre of Louisville, designed the wigs worn by the entire cast.

Tickets for The Impresario From Smyrna are available through the Gustavus Ticket Center at (507) 933-7590. Adult tickets $7.00, student and senior citizen tickets $5.00, Gustavus students and staff free of charge. Tickets not purchased in advance may be purchased at the Anderson Theatre Box Office beginning one hour prior to curtain.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Tickets for the added performance will go on sale at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20 at the Student Activities Office desk, located on the lower level of the C. Charles Jackson Campus Center. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens, and free for Gustavus students and staff. Only 49 tickets are available for each performance. Latecomers will not be seated.

Directed by Henry MacCarthy, The Lesson is a masterpiece of the theatre of the absurd and the surrealist avant garde, pushing the boundaries of morbid humor into the depths of darkness. A student, eager to learn quickly to qualify for her total doctorate exam, attends a private lesson in the house of a well-known young professor and is guided through the basics of arithmetic, linguistics and comparative philology, only to be interrupted by the maid who warns the professor to be cautious and avoid philology, which “can only lead to calamity!” The plot unfolds as the characters wrestle through language, the ultimate instrument of power, which eventually consumes them in complete destruction.

MacCarthy’s daring re-invention of Ionesco’s challenging drama provides audiences an intimate experience with the play. The proximity of the audience to the performers, aided by the set design by student designer Brian Pelach, allows audience members to be immersed in the world created on stage. The students involved with the production have been given a unique opportunity to bring this avant garde play into the Gustavus Theatre repertoire.

The cast features students Jordan Klitzke, Bethany Ringdal, Shane Jensen, Christine Dornbush, and Kelly Nelson. The lighting design for The Lesson is by Terena Wilkens, and costume design by Andrea Gross.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Amy Seham is the director of Topsy Turvy Mouse.

The Department of Theatre and Dance at Gustavus Adolphus College is pleased to open the 2008-09 Anderson Theatre season with Topsy Turvy Mouse. Written by Peter Gil-Sheridan and directed by Amy Seham, this award winning play will be performed in Anderson Theatre on October 24, 25, 31 and November 1 at 8:00 p.m., with a matinee performance on October 26 at 2:00 p.m.

Topsy Turvy Mouse imagines the legacy of today’s violence and the effect that it will have on future generations. Richie Haney has been sheltered from the truth of his family’s past. When he discovers photographs of his parents’ alleged crimes, he is both fascinated and confused. Armed with a camera of his own, he begins to experiment and role-play with his friend Amit, but the line between the virtual and real worlds is soon blurred. What seems like innocent fun soon turns destructive. As one character points out, if you do something, if you act out the game, you’re no longer just pretending. In both shocking and comic scenes, Topsy Turvy Mouse investigates questions of loneliness, fear, difference, and personal responsibility; questions that ultimately cause us to take stock of our entire value system.

Topsy Turvy Mouse is one part of a larger commitment by the Department of Theatre and Dance to “emphasize the value of performance as a vital means of working for social justice and personal transformation” (from the department’s Mission Statement.) The cast features students from several academic departments including Gustavus seniors Ella Bonner and Rhea Muchalla, junior Andrea Gullixson, sophomores Eric Noun, Lydia Francis and Christian DeMarais, and first year Ben Batz.

The set design for Topsy Turvy Mouse was created by Micah Maatman, lighting design by Terena Wilkens, and costume design by student designer Larissa Bregenzer.

Tickets are available through the Gustavus Ticket Center at (507) 933-7590. Adult tickets $7.00, Student and senior citizen tickets $5.00, Gustavus students and staff free of charge. Tickets not purchased in advance may be purchased at the Anderson Theatre Box Office beginning one hour prior to curtain.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

While the setting has been moved from ancient Rome to a turn-of-the-century vaudeville stage, the musical’s comedy and ridiculously inter-connected plot remain. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for non-Gustavus students and senior citizens, and free of charge for Gustavus students and staff. Tickets are available by calling the Gustavus Ticket Center at 507-933-7590.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Sophomore Jordan Klitzke is one of many actors who will perform in <i>columbinus</i>.

With an eye on history as well as more recent events at Virginia Tech University and other campuses, the Gustavus Adolphus College Department of Theatre and Dance will present columbinus Oct. 25-28. Written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli, and directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Henry MacCarthy, columbinus is based on the tragic events of April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

Described as a “theatrical discussion” by the playrights, columbinus presents a snapshot of American youth culture. Combining original interviews and transcripts drawn from the Columbine massacre, while dissecting the cultural pathologies that might have led to the tragedy, columbinus is a testament to the relevance of the contemporary theatre and an urgent call for self-reflectivity and dialogue.

Columbinus is as emotionally powerful as it is exhausting. It evokes pain and trauma. Throughout the play, Karam and Paparelli expose the culture and interaction of American youth and the emotions and psyche of two young men and their victims. The writers force a discussion of how people treat each other and why they do so within the context of the statement that “no one should ever feel this alone again.”

Performances will be held in the Evan and Evelyn Anderson Theatre, located in the Schaefer Fine Arts Center, at 8 p.m. Oct. 25-27 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 28. Tickets for the play are on sale now through the Gustavus Ticket Center (507/933-7590). Prices are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and non-Gustavus students, and free for Gustavus students and employees.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Gustavus Adolphus College’s Theatre and Dance Department will present the Tempest from May 9-12. The production coincides with the 75th anniversary of theatre at the college, along with a farewell to Professor of Theatre and Dance Dr. Rob Gardner, who is retiring from full-time teaching at the college this year.

Directed by Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance Amy Seham, and known as Shakespeare’s last great play, the Tempest is a classic comedy about revenge, love, and forgiveness. Performances will be held in the Evan and Evelyn Anderson Theatre, located in the Shaefer Fine Arts Center, at 8 p.m. on May 9-11 and at 7 p.m. on May 12. Tickets for the play are on sale now through the Student Activities Office (507/933-7590). Prices are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and non-Gustavus students, and free for Gustavus students and employees.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of theatre at Gustavus, there will be a reunion at the college on May 11-12, with the schedule of events as follows:

Friday, May 11

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

Peter Breitmayer and Kevin Kling are 2 of 6 alumni actors performing in The Cherry Orchard this week. (Photo by Anders Bjorling)

Six Gustavus Adolphus College theatre program graduates, who work professionally in the field, have returned to campus to perform in the College’s upcoming production, The Cherry Orchard. Written by Anton Chekhov, the classic play will be staged Thursday, Feb. 8-Feb. 11.

The production marks the final Gustavus directorial bow for Professor Rob Gardner, who retires this spring after 36 years in the Department of Theatre and Dance, having brought more than 60 productions to the Anderson Theatre stage. Gardner, whose professional interests include Russian theatre, had previously directed Gustavus productions of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters and The Sea Gull.

“I began to imagine what it would be like to have some of our alumni back to play the older roles in a Chekhov play, along with current students as the younger characters,” he said. “When I began to think of an alumni-student show for my last production at Gustavus, I knew it had to be The Cherry Orchard: it’s Chekhov’s last play, it’s a play about transitions—about looking back and looking forward—and it’s one of my favorites.”

Gardner collaborated with faculty colleague Denis Crnkovic, professor of Russian studies, to produce a fresh translation of the play. The cast of 18 includes six alumni actors: Karen Esbjornson ‘80, an actor and vocalist now living in Minneapolis; Peter Breitmayer ‘87, a stage and screen actor working in L.A. and the Twin Cities; Michael Glenn Waldhauser ‘97, a stage actor based in Washington, D.C.; Scott Novotny ‘75, a comedian and writer based in the Twin Cities; Alisa Pritchett ‘85, a veteran of Chicago and Twin Cities stages; and Kevin Kling ‘79, a playwright and storyteller based in Minneapolis. The set was designed by another alumnus, Steve Griffith ‘75, who is now vice president and dean for academic affairs at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. Other alumni are returning to assist with backstage and technical aspects of the production.

Tickets are on sale now at the Ticket Center (507/933-7590). Special prices for the public performances (Feb. 8 and 9 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 10 and 11 at 2 p.m.) are $15 for adults; $12 for senior citizens, students, and Gustavus faculty and staff; and $5 for Gustavus students.

In addition to the public performances, a special Gala Performance and Cast Party is planned for Saturday, Feb. 10, with an 8 p.m. show. For more information on the Gala and Cast Party, contact the Office of Alumni Relations or go to www.gustavus.edu/alumni/reunion/Theatre/cherryOrchard.cfm.

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Media Contact: Media Relations Manager Matt Thomas
mthomas@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510