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As the University welcomes students back, the arts are already thriving on campus. In today’s issue, we will preview all the sensational theater events planned for this semester, scheduled by the University’s Theater Department, the Center for the Arts (CFA), and various student groups.
To start the fall season, the CFA will be hosting a series of performances that showcase the interconnectedness of art and learning. On Friday, Sept. 27 at 8:00 p.m. the 2023—24 CFA Artist in Residence Sunny Jain will perform his latest music theater work, “Love Force,” in the CFA theater, exploring hybrid musical styles as a form of storytelling to show the parallels between the history of American racism and the caste system in India. Drawing inspiration from his autobiography, Jain strives to create unity in the face of oppression through the power of song.
Next up, SHADES, the University’s theater collective for Black, Indigenous, Latine, and Asian students, will be presenting Trey Anthony’s “How Black Mothers Say I Love You” on Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12. Directed by Celeste McKenzie ’27, this heartfelt show explores family, immigration, love, and loss between generations of women.
Another CFA performance about the relationship of art and learning is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27 at 3:00 p.m., when the 2024—25 CFA Artist in Residence Anna Deavere Smith will present her newest play, “This Ghost of Slavery,” in the Cromwell Concert Hall. Set on college campuses between the 1860s and the present, this play combines research into American slavery with an interview-based documentary theater style, a signature of Smith’s. In this play, Smith will explore performance as a way of understanding ourselves as individuals and as a nation.
November promises to be another good month for theater fans. In association with SHADES, the new play “Disadvantage,” written and directed by Senica Slaton ’26, will be performed on Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2 in the Patricelli ’92 Theater. The show follows a woman’s life-changing investigation into the role of three teenage girls in a viral incident at a debate competition.
The student theater group, Spike Tape, will also feature a considerable number of student productions this November. To begin with, Liv Snow ’25 has written her own one-act play “After Eurydice,” which will be performed in the West College (Westco) Cafe on Friday, Nov. 1, Saturday, Nov. 2, and Sunday, Nov. 3. This play uses vignettes to expand stories of Greek mythological characters past their supposed endings. For anyone who was obsessed with Greek gods as a kid, this may be the play for you!
Another exciting performance lined up by the University’s Theater Department is Agnes Borinsky’s 2017 play “Of Government.” Directed by Assistant Professor of Theater Katie Pearl, “Of Government” will be performed in the CFA Theater on Thursday, Nov. 7 and Friday, Nov. 8 at 8:00 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. In this wild and unpredictable tale, a small community in Montana contemplates the meaning of government. This play is part of the University’s “Democracy 2024” events, which aim to cultivate participation in civics.
On Friday, Nov. 8 and on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Patricelli ’92 Theater, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, directed by Kendall McDermott ’25, is set to take the stage. This Spike Tape production is based on Oscar Wilde’s iconic tale of Dorian Gray, a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.
Additionally, “The Trail to Oregon!” a musical comedy directed by Hannah Sodickson ’26 and Nat Wheeler ’25 will premiere in the Patricelli ’92 Theater on Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16. Based on the classic 1980s video game, this play is an exciting tale about a family embarking on the infamous trail.
“Falsettos” is another Spike Tape musical taking place at the end of November. Directed by Quincy Segal ’26, this musical will focus on the story of a neurotic New York City Jewish family in the 1970s. “Falsettos” is set to open on Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23 in the Ring Family Performing Arts Hall.
Spike Tape’s season will close with Leo Marin ’27’s original one-act play, “Irving and Callahan Refuse the Call” which will debut in Westco Cafe on Thursday, Dec. 5 and Friday, Dec. 6. Following the unexpected friendship between a suicidal man and a waiter, this dark comedy is an adventure about death, an IHOP run by a cult, and portals to hell.
Finally, Sophia Flynn ’25 will present her Senior Thesis Theater production, “The Game of Love and Chance”, in the Patricelli ’92 Theater on Thursday, Dec. 5, Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec.7 at 7:00 p.m. This French drama, originally written in 1730 by Pierre de Marivaux and translated by Stephen Wadsworth, is a witty and amusing love story involving disguises, social order, and drag. For anyone interested in classical theater that still resonates, be sure to check this out!
With so many productions in store this fall, The Argus could not be happier about the semester ahead! Keep an eye out for upcoming issues featuring events planned this fall in the music, film, dance, and visual arts departments.
Maggie Smith can be reached at mssmith@wesleyan.edu.