All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Wesleyan, of course, is no exception. As a new semester begins, a new cycle of student-directed and organized theater launches into motion. Auditions for some of this fall’s shows began as early as Monday, and others will be fielding potential actors all over campus in the coming days and weeks. This season sees a record-setting number of productions slated to go up through Second Stage, ranging from marital musicals to Charlie Brown, Sondheim to Shakespeare. While several will unfold in the Patricelli ’92 Theater, stay tuned for details on a semester chock full of student theater—here’s what the directors had to say about what’s coming up.
The 24-Hour Play Festival
Saturday, Sep. 24
Written and Directed by Wesleyan Students
Coordinated by Blair Laurie ’12
8 p.m., Patricelli ’92 Theater
What can you do in a day? Put on a collection of 10-minute plays written, rehearsed, and performed, in 1,440 minutes? Wesleyan’s annual day-long theater festival pits aspiring playwrights, their casts, and crews against the clock by giving them 24 hours to bang out stage gold. Break out the coffee; it’s on.
The Last 5 Years
Thursday, Sep. 29 – Saturday, Oct. 1
Written by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Dylan Zwickel ’14
8 p.m., Patricelli ’92 Theater
A contemporary song-cycle musical that chronicles the five year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up…or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it.
Dog Sees God
Thursday, Oct. 6—Saturday, Oct. 8
Written by Bert V. Royal
Directed by Shelby Arnold ’12
8 p.m., Patricelli ’92 Theater
This is an “unauthorized” parody that imagines what happens to the much-loved Charlie Brown gang when they grow up into angsty high school kids. Despite the comedic elements and hilarious dialogue, the show tackles serious issues at the heart of what it’s like to be a teenager.
Assassins
Thursday, Oct. 13 – Saturday, Oct. 15
Written by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman
Directed by Mikhail Firer ’13 and Tessa Young ’13
8 p.m., Patricelli ’92 Theater
“What do you do when you lose sight of the American dream? You do the only thing you can do. You kill the president. Everybody’s got the right to be happy, right?”
Heaven*
Thursday, Oct. 27 – Saturday, Oct. 29
Written and Directed by Michael Steves ’13
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
“Heaven*” is a heartfelt comedy about a hopelessly average old woman’s journey through the afterlife. Our hero is introduced to a heaven run by fast talking bureaucrats, where she meets moral quandaries and braves auditions to get behind the pearly gates.
A Very Potter Musical
Thursday, Oct. 27 – Saturday, Oct. 29
Written by Team StarKid
Directed by Tess Minter ’12
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
A Very Potter Musical is an unofficial, fan-made, parody show. In this musical adventure Harry and his pals go back to school for another year of learning shenanigans! Only this year their wizarding world gets turned on its head when the Dark Lord comes back from the dead to take his revenge on The Boy Who Lived. The story takes key elements from all seven books to create a brand new and ex=citing version of the beloved story of our favorite magical world—with a musical twist.
The Curious Savage
Thursday, Nov. 3 – Saturday, Nov. 5
Written by John Patrick
Directed by Christina Grillo ’13
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
A delightful comedy about a wealthy widow, her greedy stepchildren, and her fellow residents in a home for the insane.
Julius Caesar
Thursday, Nov. 3 – Saturday, Nov. 5
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Josh Cohen ’14
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
The conspiracies and scandals of Ancient Rome come to life in modern times. Gone are the togas and sword fights of the past, replaced with the pressed suits of senators and shootouts of twentieth-century armies. What remains is the fall of an emperor at the hands of politicians just as ruthless and conniving as ever.
Mao the Musical
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Saturday, Nov. 12
Written and Directed by Alan Rodi ’12
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
A Senior Music Thesis Composition satirizing the life and cult following of Mao Zedong. With influences from both Modern and Chinese opera using instruments from both East and West, the piece will explore how historical slogans hastily become farce.
As You Like It
Thursday, Nov. 10 – Saturday, Nov. 12
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Claire Whitehouse ’14
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
“If thou remember’st not the slightest folly that ever love did make thee run into, thou hast not loved.”
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Saturday, Nov. 19
Written by William Finn and Rebecca Feldman
Directed by Lily Martin ’14
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
Six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” is a hilarious musical tale of overachievers’ angst chronicling the experience of six adolescent outsiders vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime.
The Canterville Ghost
Thursday, Dec. 1 – Saturday, Dec. 3
Written by the Wesleyan Musical Collective
Directed by Julia Baritz ’13
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
Based on the Oscar Wilde short story of the same name, The Canterville Ghost is an original musical written by the Wesleyan Musical Theater Collective. The story follows Sir Simon de Canterville, a terrible ghost who, after centuries of scaring the wits out of every Englishman who stepped foot on his estate, finds himself entirely unable to frighten an American family that moves into Canterville Chase. Sir Simon’s ensuing identity crisis forces him to explore the complicated ethics of being human– whether living or dead.
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me
Thursday, Dec. 1 – Saturday, Dec. 3
Written by Frank McGuinness
Directed by Lily Haje ’13
8 p.m., location T.B.A.
“There were three bollocks in a cell in Lebanon. An Englishman, an Irishman, and an American. Why they were in that cell was anybody’s guess, and why they were in Lebanon was their own guess.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Wednesday, Dec. 7
Written by Richard O’Brien
Directed by Sarah Marmon ’14
Location T.B.A.
We would like, if we may, to take you on a strange journey—a journey through the craziest night in the lives of the newly engaged Brad and Janet. After a flat tire halts their trip to see an old science teacher, the couple stumbles upon Dr. Frank-n-Furter’s castle, filled with servants, groupies, party guests, and his very own live experiment. Come see the campiest, sexiest horror parody movie this side of Denton! Absent Toast, Wesleyan’s very own Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast performs the midnight cult classic right in front of the screen, with full audience participation.