Dance Commons^™

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

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..

The Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

This absorbing drama focuses on Beatrice, an embittered mother whose girlish dreams have been shattered and who vents her frustrations and unhappiness upon her two daughters. Ruth is a pretty but highly strung girl, and Matilda, the younger daughter, is plain and almost pathologically shy. Tillie has an intuitive gift for science, and, encouraged by her teacher, she undertakes a gamma ray experiment with marigolds which wins a prize at her high school-and also brings on the shattering climax of the play. Proud, jealous and filled with her own hurts, Beatrice can only maim when she needs to love. Yet, …

Heidi, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

A childhood favorite, Heidi is the tale of a little girl who loves the country but is sent to live in the big city. Made homesick by her lessons with a stuffy tutor and her separation from her grandfather, she is finally allowed to return to her beloved Swiss Alps. Swiss folk songs and yodeling are featured among the many musical numbers.

Deathtrap, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983-1984 Season

A smash hit on Broadway and in London, this ingeniously constructed play offers a rare and skillful blend of gasp-inducing thrills and spontaneous laughter. Ensconced in his charming Connecticut home, Sidney Bruhl, a successful writer of Broadway thrillers, is struggling to overcome a " dry" spell. A possible break occurs when a student from a seminar he had taught sends him a script-a thriller which Sidney recognizes immediately as a potential hit. His wife helps devise a plan for collaboration, which the young playwright accepts. Thereafter, the suspense mounts steadily as the plot twists and turns with devilish cleverness toward …

Ten Little Indians, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983 Summer Theatre

If you love a mystery!—Don’t miss this one! This famous “locked-room” puzzler is Agatha Christie at her best. A wonderful combination of comedy and mystery.

God's Favorite, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983 Summer Theatre

Neil Simon’s hilarious Broadway play gives us a comic, contemporary look at the Biblical story of Job. There is plenty of comedy with underlying pathos as “God's Favorite” tries to stoically handle his trials and tribulations.

The Elephant Man, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983 Summer Theatre

This thoughtful, moving, and sensitive play is based on the true story of one John Merrick. Under the care of a famous young doctor, Merrick is transformed from a freak attraction in traveling side shows to a favorite of the Victorian Aristocracy. The play depicts the Elephant Man’s dream to overcome his horrible deformity and become a man like any other.

I Do! I Do!, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983 Summer Theatre

This cheerful musical is the story of a marriage told in a warm sentimental style. It is brassy and bold, soft and touching, and always entertaining. The tuneful score includes “My Cup Runneth Over,” “All The Dearly Beloved”, and “I Do! I Do!”

A Thurber Carnival, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1983 Summer Theatre

This fun-filled evening is a collection of sketches by the great American humorist James Thurber. Included are such favorites as “The Night The Bed Fell”, “File and Forget”, and of course, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”.

Private Lives, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982-1983 Season

Noel Coward’s superb farce, a unique play with three very successful Broadway runs! Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet by chance, re-Ignite the old spark and impulsively elope. After some days of being reunited, however, they again find their fiery romance alternating between passions of love and anger. Into this situation come their aggrieved spouses, and the resulting confusion and resolution Is hilarious.

Irene, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982-1983 Season

The Department of Music and dance area join us in presenting the smash musical comedy hit that brought Debbie Reynolds to Broadway! This gay, light-hearted, romantic and charming show contains some of the best music in the American musical theatre, including “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows,” “You Made Me Love You,” “Alice Blue Gown,” and “They Go Wild, Simply Wild Over Me.” Irene has a particularly contemporary charm with its Cinderella-type story of a delightful Irish lass who believed in women’s lib before the term was invented.

Summer And Smoke

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1983 performance of Summer and Smoke by Tennessee Williams.

Summer and Smoke is the story of a high strung young woman named Alma Winemiller, and the spiritual/sexual romance that nearly develops between her and John Buchanan Jr. who grew up next door.

The music used to accompany the performance was used in the original production.

The Diary Of Anne Frank

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1983 performance of The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett adapted from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

The Diary of Anne Frank is a dramatization of the diary entries of Anne Frank, a young Dutch-Jew who went into hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

The Man Who Came To Dinner, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982-1983 Season

The story revolves around the famous critic, lecturer, wit, and radio orator Sheridan Whiteside and happens on his annual lecture tour when he slips on a piece of ice on the doorstep of the Stanley family of Mesalia, Ohio, suddenly resulting in a six-week convalescence in their house. Featuring a professional guest star for the 22nd consecutive year.

The Masque Of Beauty And The Beast, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982-1983 Season

One of the most universal and beloved stories of all time. This new version by Michael Brill captures all the glowing simplicity of the fable, appealing to the inherent Idealism of children as well as to their love of magic, the romance and mystery of long ago time and far away places. To be presented in a fully staged version with magical sets and opulent costumes.

Abelard And Heloise, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982-1983 Season

A smashing London success, this love story was inspired by Helen Waddell’s Peter Abelard and the letters of the 12th Century lovers. The monastic scholar, poet, and most praised teacher in Paris loses his heart and reason to Heloise, a young and innocent girl who came to adore him, has a child by her, and in violation of his church vows enters a secret marriage. A vengeful uncle alerts ecclesiastical authorities, the lovers are separated and the conflict between church and love has a shocking resolution.

You Can't Take It With You, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982 Summer Theatre

At first the Sycamores seem mad, but it is not long before we realize that if they are mad, the rest of the world is madder! Fireworks abound in this classic Kaufman and Hart comedy of the American stage. Good family entertainment!

The Affairs Of Anatol, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982 Summer Theatre

It is turn of the century Vienna and Anatol, Schnitzler’s sentimental man-about-town, romances, cajoles, and woos to his heart’s discontent. With his friend and confidant. Max, we see Anatol in five distinct ‘affairs’, all challenging, and all delightful!

Romantic Comedy, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982 Summer Theatre

As the title implies, there is plenty of comedy and romance in this new Bernard Slade play about an elegant but down-on-his-luck writer who learns to ‘collaborate’ with a wacky but charming female colleague.

Godspell, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982 Summer Theatre

Based on the gospel according to St. Matthew, this exhilarating musical with songs by Stephen Schwartz has won the affection of theatregoers the world over. It includes the memorable hits, “Day by Day’’, “Turn Back, O Man’’, and “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord’’.

California Suite, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1982 Summer Theatre

Neil Simon’s hilarious Broadway comedy is set in the suite of a California hotel. Four couples hide, fight, reconcile then inevitably tangle in scenes which vary from poignant to madcap.

Tribute, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1981-1982 Season

A smash Broadway hit and movie starring Jack Lemmon, Tribute will be presented in the air conditioned Campus Center Arena Theatre. Written by Bernard Slade (Same Time Next Year and Romantic Comedy), the play centers around an enormously popular Broadway press agent and former scriptwriter and a “tribute” arranged by his son at a moment of great crisis in his life.