This past year, the St. Ambrose Theatre Department tackled productions by playwrights such as David Lindsay-Abaire, Neil Simon, and Moliere. However, the theatre season has sadly come to an end.
But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. Now, the department is looking forward to the upcoming 2019-20 theatre season.
The first show of the year will be directed by sophomore Luke Peterson in the SAU Studio Theatre. The production will be Time Stands Still by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Marguiles. The play centers on a wartime photojournalist who is a recovering survivor of a roadside bomb that exploded while she was working overseas in Iraq. The play becomes more complex as the journalist's boyfriend feels guilty for leaving her in Iraq, and their best friend decides to settle down with someone half his age. On top of that is the energetic young girlfriend, who happens to be pregnant. This Tony-nominated play explores serious issues such as PTSD and infidelity. Time Stands Still will be performed during the first weekend of September 2019.
The first main stage production will be the musical Big Fish, which is based on the 2003 Tim Burton film. The musical, directed by guest artist Jay Edelnant and musically directed by Saul Nache, focuses on a father and his adult son who sets out to find who his father really was. With a whimsical score by Andrew Lippa and an engaging book by John August that features witches, giants and mermaids, Big Fish is sure to be a splashing good time for the whole family!
Following the musical, SAU students will have the opportunity to partake in an exciting new play. Next year's children's show is an adaptation of the classic tale The Little Prince, adapted by none other than SAU alum Aaron Randolph III and Department Chair Daniel Rairdin-Hale. The production, which is currently running at the QC Theatre Workshop, will transfer over to the Allaert Auditorium in December and is being directed by Rairdin-Hale.
Theatre News
Sophomore Ellie Larson will kick off the spring semester by directing Neil LaBute's play, The Shape of Things, in the SAU Studio Theatre. The play, which is set in a small university in a Midwestern city, is one of LaBute's most iconic plays. It received a film adaptation in 2003. The play focuses on Evelyn, a graduate art student who is attempting to complete her very controversial MFA thesis project. While the play addresses many different topics, at its core, it addresses the importance of art in society and people's willingness to do things for love.
The season will conclude with the spring main stage production, Dancing at Lughnasa by Irish playwright Brian Friel. The play, which will be directed by Dr. Corinne Johnson, is a memory play and told from the narrator's (Michael Evans) point of view. It is loosely based on the lives of Evans' mother and sisters and recounts a summer he spent at his aunts' cottage as a 7 year-old. The play, which won the 1992 Tony Award for Best Play, is sure to be an excellent way to finish the season.
All in all, the department is incredibly excited to begin working on all these wonderful shows and plans to keep the legacy of providing quality theatre to the Quad Cities community alive. SAU theatre students and faculty hope to see you at some, if not all, the productions lined up for next season!
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