Theatre History Commons^™

Six Characters In Search Of An Author, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973-1974 Season

Tonight's production is Pirandello's play about six characters who were created by an author, but left incomplete. They now intrude upon a theatre rehearsal demanding that they be given life. At first, the troupe of players share their Director's view that they are mad. But as the pathetic dilemma of this wayward, disturbing family is unfolded, their reality imposes itself and commands consideration. Are they "real"? What is "real"? Is a person's role his identity? Eventually the Director and his company, you and I, are made to question some of our previously assumed certainties...

Christ In The Concrete City And The Prodigal Son

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s 1974 performances of Christ in the Concrete City by Philip Turner and The Prodigal Son by R.H. Ward, performed by the Religious Drama Company

The Ugly Duckling

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Theatre 25 Fall 1973 performance of The Ugly Duckling by A. A. Milne.

The Story Theatre Of Hans Christian Anderson, Otterbein Universitytheatre And Dance Department

1973-1974 Season

This performance includes play adaptations of Hans Christian Anderson's tales, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Princess and the Pea.

A Mark Twain Production

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1973 performance of A Mark Twain Production adapted by Allen Goetcheus for Chamber Theatre.

A Mark Twin Production tells the story of Mark Twain and his work through collected writings and letters.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Otterbein Universitytheatre And Dance Department

1973-1974 Season

This was a mod-style production of William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Taming Of The Shrew

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1973 performance of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare.

The Taming of the Shrew follows the courtship and marriage of Petruchio and Katherina, a headstrong shrew and how Petruchio "tames" her.

See How They Run, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973 Summer Theatre

See How They Run is an English comedy in three acts by Philip King. Its title is a line from the nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice". It is considered a farce for its tense comic situations and headlong humour, heavily playing on mistaken identity, doors, and vicars. In 1955 it was adapted as a film starring Roland Culver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See_How_They_Run_(play)

Till Death Do Us... & Adaptation, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973 Summer Theatre

Till Death Do Us... - We are especially proud to present Till Death Do Us..., an original script by Carter Lewis. This play was written last winter as part of the Otterbein College requirements for "Graduation with Distinction," and the play was presented in the Workshop Theatre.

Adaptation - This is a contest, played like Parcheesi, in which the contestant advances or is sent back through the seven ages of man. The Author has written a parody of life with such incisiveness that it becomes life Swift in its barbs.

https://books.google.com/books/about/Adaptation.html?id=TZGXD57r-EkC

The Mousetrap, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973 Summer Theatre

The Mousetrap is a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. The Mousetrap opened in London's West End in 1952, and has been running continuously since then. The longest running West End show, it has by far the longest initial run of any play in history, with its 25,000th performance taking place on 18 November 2012.^[1] The play is known for its twist ending, which the audience are traditionally asked not to reveal after leaving the theatre.

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

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973 Summer Theatre

Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251–183 BC), specifically Pseudolus, Miles Gloriosus, and Mostellaria, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story: "A funny thing happened on the way to the theater".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Funny_Thing_Happened_on_the_Way_to_the_Forum

Canterbury Tales, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1972-1973 Season

Canterbury Tales is a musical originally presented at the Oxford Playhouse in 1964, conceived and directed by Martin Starkie and written by Nevill Coghill and Martin Starkie. There are two versions of this musical (Canterbury Tales and More Canterbury Tales), each making up about half the story.

The musical took five tales from the Canterbury Tales and told them with song and humour. These were; The Miller's Tale; The Nun's Priest's Tale; The Steward's Tale; The Merchant's Tale; and The Wife of Bath's Tale. In addition, Chaucer's Prologue and Epilogue were spoken. The purpose behind these stories was that Harry …

The Skin Of Our Teeth

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1973 performance of The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder.

The Skin of Our Teeth is an allegory about human nature which follows a family and their maid through various disasters at different points of human history.

Grimm's Fairy Tales

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1973 performance of Grimm’s Fairy Tales adapted by Allen Goetcheus for Chamber Theatre.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales is an adaption of the classic stories by the Grimm Brothers.

Much Ado About Nothing, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1972-1973 Season

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599, as Shakespeare was approaching the middle of his career. The play was included in the First Folio, published in 1623.

By means of "noting" (which, in Shakespeare's day, sounded similar to "nothing" as in the play's title, and which means gossip, rumour, and overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar on the erroneous belief that she has been unfaithful. At the end, Benedick and Beatrice …

1973 - 1974 Season Brochure, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

Theatre and Dance Annual Brochures

Annual promotional piece of the upcoming season's shows.

Alice In Wonderland, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1972-1973 Season

Alice and her sister Delilah are sitting under a tree when Alice sees the White Rabbit hurry down a rabbit hole. Alice follows the White Rabbit into Wonderland, where she has a series of marvelously imaginative adventures.

https://www.enotes.com/topics/alices-adventures

A Man For All Seasons

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1972 performance of A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt.

A Man for All Seasons is based on the life of Sir Thomas Moore, a 16th century chancellor of England who refused to endorse King Henry the VIII’s divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon, who did not bear him any sons so her could marry Anne Boleyn.

The Importance Of Being Earnest

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1972 performance of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, is a farcical comedy about two men who each take on the personas with the name of Earnest in order to escape the burdens of social obligations.

This production was set as a Reader's Theatre due to the limited physical space available.

This is one of three plays performed at Eastbrook Middle School Cafetorium because of the destruction of Shreiner Auditorium in Helena Music Hall. Helena Music Hall was destroyed in …

1974 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.

Fiddler On The Roof, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1971-1972 Season

Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters (or Tevye the Dairyman) and other tales by Sholem Aleichem. The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon the family's lives. He must cope both with the strong-willed actions of his three older daughters, who wish to marry for love – each …

The Turn Of The Screw

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1972 performance of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw adapted by Allen Goetcheus for Chamber Theatre.

The Turn of the Screw is the story of a governess who takes a job in an English country house and begins to see what she believes are the ghosts of two former employees.

This is one of three plays performed at Eastbrook Middle School Cafetorium because of the destruction of Shreiner Auditorium in Helena Music Hall. Helena Music Hall was destroyed in a fire January 20, 1972. The next building to host Taylor theatre on campus …

Antigone

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Spring 1972 performance of Antigone by Sophocles, (translated by Jean Anouilh).

In this story, the bold yet cursed princess Antigone, daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, chooses to confront her unmovable uncle/king about his decision to dishonor her brother by refusing his burial. Her choice to defy him shocks the entire city of Thebes. Ultimately, all concerned, including the audience, are forced to wrestle with the relationship of divine law to human laws.

This is one of three plays performed at Eastbrook Middle School Cafetorium because of the destruction of Shreiner Auditorium in Helena Music Hall. …

Romeo And Juliet, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1971-1972 Season

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.

Romeo and Juliet belongs to a tradition of tragic romances stretching back to antiquity. The plot is based on an Italian tale translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562 and retold in prose …

Cinderella, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1971-1972 Season

Cinderella or The Little Glass Slipper, is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances, that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune. The story of Rhodopis, recounted by the Greek geographer Strabo in around 7 BC, about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt, is usually considered as the earliest known variant of the "Cinderella" story. The first literary European version of the story was published in Italy by Giambattista Basile in his Pentamerone in 1634; …

1972 - 1973 Season Brochure, Otterbein University Department Of Theatre And Dance

Theatre and Dance Annual Brochures

Annual promotional piece of the upcoming season's shows.

The Imaginary Invalid

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s October 1971 performance of The Imaginary Invalid arranged by Jean Baptiste Moliére.

The Imaginary Invalid is a satirical Comédie-ballet about the 17th century medical profession, following the story of a wealthy Frenchman named Argan who is a hypochondriac.

Ghosts

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 1971 performance of Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen.

Ghosts tells the story of widow Mrs. Alving who has built an orphanage in honor of her late husband though he was unfaithful to her. The play shows her navigation of various issues with her son and husband’s illegitimate daughter, attacking conventional morals of the time.

The Male Animal, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1971 Summer Theatre

Elliott Nugent scored his biggest stage success with The Male Animal, which he co-wrote with his longtime friend James Thurber. It centers on a college professor who faces dismissal for his defense of free speech. Further complicating matters is the arrival of his wife’s former boyfriend. The play premiered in 1940, with Nugent in the lead role.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elliott-Nugent

Camelot, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1970-1971 Season

Lerner and Loewe’s majestic Camelot brings the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table to life with an extraordinary score and a story that poignantly dramatizes the human conflict at the heart of this classic tale. Based on T.H. White’s novel, The Once and Future King, Camelot tells the story of Arthur, a young squire who becomes King after extracting the sword Excalibur from its legendary rock. Camelot opens in the midst of the battle that destroyed King Arthur’s kingdom, and goes back to tell the story of how the battle came to be. The …