By Anna Rhodes
The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will present four major productions during the spring 2018 season. Productions will take place at the university’s Valborg Theatre, I.G. Greer Studio Theatre and the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. The season highlights new works, including “Well” by Lisa Kron, and well-known favorite "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
According to Dr. Paulette Marty, chair of the play selection process and professor of theatre arts, the season grapples with serious issues in fascinating and fun ways.
“‘Well’ dives into the thorny question of what makes us feel ‘sick’ or ‘well’ through a hilarious and poignant mother-daughter struggle, and 'Sweeney Todd' delves into the dark, dark realms of revenge and moral corruption, but with gleeful delight and soaring music.”
In addition, the department will present the annual Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble concert along with a production by the award-winning Appalachian Young People’s Theatre.
"The rich tradition of quality theatre and dance productions at App State continues with work that showcases our latest group of outstanding student actors, dancers, technicians and designers,” remarked Theatre and Dance Department Chair Kevin Warner. “In addition, we will celebrate another collaboration with the Hayes School of Music when we jointly produce the Tony-award winning musical ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’. Our studios, design labs, scenic and costume shops and rehearsal rooms are very busy, as usual!"
Tickets are available in person at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office weekdays 9 a.m. –5 p.m., by phone 828-262-4046, at the Valborg Theater box office weekdays during show weeks from 1–5 p.m. and online at www.theatreanddance.appstate.edu.
The full schedule of the spring 2018 season is as follows.
Well by Lisa Kron
Feb. 21–24 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 25 at 2 p.m.
Valborg Theatre
Lisa Kron is best known for writing the book of the Tony Award winning musical, “Fun Home,” based on the autobiographical graphic novel by Alison Bechtel. In “Well,” Kron uses her own life experience to address what it means to be healthy in medical, personal and social terms.
Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble
March 21–24 at 7 p.m. and March 25 at 2 p.m.
Valborg Theatre
This popular annual concert features Appalachian faculty, students and guest artists showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. The 2018 spring concert is scheduled to include work by associate professors of dance studies Emily Daughtridge and Susan Lutz, as well as a choreographic world premiere by national guest artist Teena Custer.
The Hero Twins: Blood Race by Ramón Esquivel
Presented by Appalachian Young People’s Theatre
April 6 at 7 p.m. and April 7–8 at 2 p.m.
I.G. Greer Studio Theatre
Competing in the ancient Blood Race, a stonecutter named Moth descends into the underworld to free her twin brother, Cricket, who is trapped there. To win the race, Moth must defeat the reigning champion, Jaguar, and overcome deadly obstacles. The Blood Race is designed to give Jaguar many advantages, so Moth must rely on her intelligence and unconventional skills to defy the odds. When she learns the truth of the Blood Race and the society built upon it, Moth faces a choice: accept the way things are and have always been, or tear it all down and start anew. An original story inspired by classic Mayan mythology, “The Hero Twins: Blood Race” employs parkour, free running, capoeira and other martial arts and dance forms to weave a tale of determination, discovery and liberation.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler
Presented in collaboration with the Hayes School of Music
April 13–14 at 7 p.m. and April 15 at 2 p.m.
This tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. The show’s Broadway premiere received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In this infamous tale set in the nineteenth century, Sweeney Todd returns to London seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun!
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Media Contact
Keith Martin
828-262-8179
MartinKT1@appstate.edu
About the Department of Theatre and Dance
The Department of Theatre and Dance is one of seven departments housed in Appalachian’s College of Fine and Applied Arts. Its mission is to facilitate transformative experiences for students and the public, which cultivate compassionate, creative and collaborative communities through theatre and dance. The department also offers coursework for integrated learning through the arts to the general university student population. Its dynamic co-curricular production program provides exemplary theatre and dance experiences to departmental students, the university community and the region.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 19,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
Well
"Well," by Lisa Kron, runs February 21-25 in Appalachian State University's Valborg Theatre.