Theatre and Performance Studies Commons^™

Noises Off, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1986-1987 Season

Noises Off. Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing's On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.

https://www.samuelfrench.com/p/2894/noises-off

Sleeping Beauty, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1986-1987 Season

Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale which involves a beautiful princess, a sleeping enchantment, and a handsome prince.

Amadeus, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1986-1987 Season

Peter Shaffer's Amadeus is a reimagining of the lives of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang AmadeusMozart. The play, brought to life with the music of Mozart, is a tale of jealousy and betrayal…and perhaps even murder. Our storyopens in 1825 on the eve of the elderly Salieri's death.

https://www.marinshakespeare.org/story-of-the-plays/amadeus-story-of-the-play/

Extremities, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985-1986 Season

A play is always fundamentally play. Storytellers have known for centuries that the artistic medium that turns their stories Into play Is the theatre. It Is with this mind, that this company of players has approached Extremities. It is a story written about a contemporary social theme that affects each of our lives to a greater or lesser degree and a theme difficult with which to play. The Issue addressed is rape: not a playful subject, but a serious concern.

My Fair Lady, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985-1986 Season

My Fair Lady is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins, a phoneticist, so that she may pass as a lady. The original Broadway, London and film versions all starred Rex Harrison.

My Fair Lady. (2017, July 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:22, September 1, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Fair_Lady&oldid=789985734

Equus: A Case For Censorship?, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the play "Equus," by Peter Shaffer. The consequences of the controversy included the introduction of a state law to limit presentation of plays with sexual conduct, the endangerment of a prestigious $150,000 award to the Department of Theatre Arts, and even the threat of reducing the University's budget. "Equus," is a gripping story of Alan Strang, a deeply troubled seventeen year old, who has inexplicably blinded six horses, and psychiatrist Martin Dysart, who seeks to relieve the boy of his extreme anguish and self-torture. All Wright State University acting majors are required to audition for every …

Ladyhouse Blues, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985-1986 Season

A poignant play set in St. Louis in 1919 where five women are gathered together awaiting the return of the family men from the war in Europe. A young, gutsy, widowed woman is faced with selling the family farm to pay debts. Her four daughters include one married into a society family, one affected with TB, another turning into a blooming activist and the youngest is on the brink of discovering sex and losing her innocence in general. New life appears just around the corner and the play examines the social and psychological state of women expectantly waiting for a …

Peter Pan, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985-1986 Season

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

Peter Pan. (2017, August 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16:33, September 1, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Pan&oldid=798044874

The Diary Of Anne Frank, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985-1986 Season

The Diary of Anne Frank dramatizes the period in which Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis in an attic. The Franks, the Van Daans, and a couple other displaced Jewish people all live in Mr. Kraler's attic for about a year and a half. Eventually, the Nazis find them, and all but Mr. Frank die in the concentration camps.

https://www.enotes.com/topics/diary-anne

I Never Sang For My Father

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1985 performance of I Never Sang For My Father by Robert Anderson.

I Never Sang For My Father is the story of widowed professor Gene Garrison, who looks to get away from his father and remarry a woman in California, but struggles with the thought of leaving.

Terra Nova, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985 Summer Theatre

In the winter of 1911-1912 five Englishmen and five Norwegians raced each other to the bottom of the earth. Only the five Norwegians returned. This is the story of the five Englishmen. Blending historical fact drawn from the journals of the Antarctic explorer Captain Scott with brilliantly devised fantasy scenes, author Ted Tally has crafted a compelling study of heroism in the face of bitter defeat.

Baby, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985 Summer Theatre

This Broadway musical explores the joys, pains and comedies of three very different couples and their journey to parenthood. It delivers an intimate and humorous evening of musical theatre.

Arsenic And Old Lace, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1985 Summer Theatre

The play is a farcical black comedy revolving around the Brewster family, descended from the Mayflower, but now composed of insane homicidal maniacs. The hero, Mortimer Brewster, is a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, New York, as he debates whether to go through with his recent promise to marry the woman he loves. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_and_Old_Lace_(play)

Agnes Of God, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

Agnes of God is a play which tells the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the child was the result of a virgin conception. A psychiatrist and the mother superior of the convent clash during the resulting investigation. The title is a pun on the Latin phrase Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_of_God

West Side Story, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as one of the best ever written. The world's greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark Broadway musical that is one of the theatre's finest accomplishments. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the …

The Imaginary Invalid, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

The Imaginary Invalid (1673), by the great comedic playwright Molière (whose full name was Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), is a satire about the 17th-century medical profession. Its intended audience was the French aristocracy, primarily King Louis XIV (known as “the Sun King”). Molière played the lead character, Argan the hypochondriac, and in an ironic turn of events, would end up dying from tuberculosis just hours after the last performance. In its original form, the three-act play combines comedy with dance (“ballets”) and and musical interludes.

http://www.supersummary.com/the-imaginary-invalid/summary/

The Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1985 performance of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds by Paul Zindel.

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds tells the story of a dysfunctional family of a single mother and two daughters and their struggles as the mother tries to keep her daughters from succeeding.

Come Back To The 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

This is the Broadway version of the play which the New York Post described as " Full of homespun humor ... surefire comic gems." The play is set in a small town dime store in West Texas where the Disciples of James Dean gather for their twentieth reunion . When Dean had filmed " Giant," the Disciples had been teenagers, and one of them, an extra, now has a child whom she says was conceived by Dean. Reminiscences mingle with flashbacks; then, the arrival of a stunning and momentarily unrecognized woman sets off a series of confrontations. This play employs …

The Wizard Of Oz, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

The story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz, after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their Kansas home by a cyclone. The novel is one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated. The Library of Congress has declared it "America's greatest and best-loved homegrown fairytale". Its groundbreaking success and the success of the Broadway musical adapted from the novel led Baum to write thirteen additional Oz books that serve as official sequels to the first story.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Wizard_of_Oz

Equus, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1984-1985 Season

Equus tells the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equus_(play)

The Dining Room, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

1984 Summer Theatre

A.R. Gurney, Jr. has crafted a richly humorous look at the now neglected room that was once a vital center of family life. A series of interrelated scenes that are funny, touching, and rueful combine for an entertaining portrait of American life. THE DINING ROOM, directed by guest artist Dennis Romer, promises to be a delightful evening of humor and abundant humanity.

Witness For The Prosecution, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

1984 Summer Theatre

Only Agatha Christie could have written this suspenseful thriller with its uncanny triple flip ending. Guest artist Ed Vaughan will be featured as Sir Wilfrid Robarts in an evening of suspense sprinkled with comedy.

Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

1984 Summer Theatre

Brian Clark has written a brilliant battle of wits in this extraordinary play about a man's search for personal dignity. Ken Harrison (played by guest professional Dennis Romer) is paralyzed in a car accident and kept alive by hospital support systems. Harrison decides that he does not want to live only to exist as a medical achievement. His physician is determined to preserve Harrison's life regardless of its quality. WHOSE LIFE is a sensitive, touching and timely evening of theatre.

The Fantasticks, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

1984 Summer Theatre

This cheerful musical fantasy by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt is about young love, parents, the world and human nature. A wonderful combination of beauty, originality, spirit and wise but tender wit. The beautiful scores include "Try to Remember," "Never Say No," "Plant a Radish," and "Soon It's Gonna Rain."

Crimes Of The Heart, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

1984 Summer Theatre

This new play by Beth Henley was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. It is a warm hearted, humorous examination of the lives of three young Mississippi sisters who are betrayed by their passions. "It has heart, wit and a surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it...It would certainly be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play." - Clive Barnes, N.Y. Post

Same Time, Next Year, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

A man and a woman, each married to someone else, have a one-night stand that lasts for a quarter of a century. George and Doris meet by chance in a California inn in 1951 , and they agree to meet there again once each year. Both are happily married, have children and remain loyal to their spouses except for their yearly brief encounter. Twenty-five years of American manners moral and attitudes are mirrored as George and Doris are shown in six scenes, set five years apart. Genuinely funny and genuinely romantic, this play serves up old fashioned values with a …

Fiddler On The Roof, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

One of the most successful musicals of modern history, Fiddler ran for seven years on Broadway. This colorful story of the lives and customs of Russian Jews at the turn of the century has magnetic appeal for people of all faiths and backgrounds. The 16 memorable songs and dances include " Tradition," "If I Were a Rich Man," "To Life," "Miracle of Miracles," "Sabbath Prayer," "Do You Love Me?" and the incredible "Sunrise, Sunset."

Witness For The Prosecution

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1984 performance of Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie.

Witness for the Prosecution tells the story of a trial of a man named Leonard Vole for the murder of a wealthy older woman who made him her principle heir. During the trial his wife, Romaine, comes to testify not in his defense, but on the side of the prosecution.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

Shakespeare's imaginative comedy-fantasy takes a plot trip that combines young lovers, capricious fairies and a simple play-within-a-play performed by the " rude mechanicals" (Athenian workingmen) for an evening of outrageous comedic fun. For the 23rd consecutive year, a professional guest artist will be featured.

J.B.

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1984 performance of J.B. by Archibald MacLeish.

J.B. is a retelling of the Biblical story of Job by two old circus performers by the name of Zuss and Nickles (Zeus and Satan), who make a wager and play out Job’s story in modern America where Job is a millionaire named J.B..