Theatre History Commons^™

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

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/

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."

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.

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.

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.