Theatre History Commons^™

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

1984 Otterbein Summer Theatre Season Brochure, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

Theatre and Dance Annual Brochures

Annual promotional piece of the upcoming season's shows.

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."

The Fight Master, May 1984, Vol. 7 Issue 2, The Society Of American Fight Directors

Fight Master Magazine

No abstract provided.

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..

George Grizzard: A Conversation With Abe J. Bassett, Abe J. Bassett

Theatre Faculty Publications

American actor George Gizzard’s first connection with Wright State was in October, 1974 when he directed William Saroyan’s The Time of Your Life, the dedicatory production of the Creative Arts Center’s Festival Playhouse.

In January 1984, he returned to Wright State to create the role of Dr. Martin Dysart in the very successful Department of Theatre Arts production of Equus. Abe J. Bassett, Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Wright State University, interviewed Grizzard at Wright State University during this time.

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, …

The Fight Master, January 1984, Vol. 7 Issue 1, The Society Of American Fight Directors

Fight Master Magazine

No abstract provided.

Once Upon A Time…

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1983 Advanced Oral Interpretation Class’s performance of Once Upon a Time… adapted by Oliver Hubbard.

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.

The Curious Savage

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1983 performance of The Curious Savage by John Patrick.

The Curious Savage is the story of Ethel P. Savage, an elderly lady whose husband has died and left her approximately ten million dollars. When she sets up a memorial fund for average people to pursue their dreams, her three stepchildren commit her to a sanatorium and try to discover where she has hidden the fortune. As the search for the fortune plays out the question becomes who is really crazy, the residents of the sanatorium or Ethel’s stepchildren.

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 …

1983 - 1984 Season Brochure, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

Theatre and Dance Annual Brochures

Annual promotional piece of the upcoming season's shows.

The Fight Master, September 1983, Vol. 6 Issue 3, The Society Of American Fight Directors

Fight Master Magazine

No abstract provided.

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”.

1983 Otterbein Summer Theatre Season Brochure, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

Theatre and Dance Annual Brochures

Annual promotional piece of the upcoming season's shows.

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.