Theatre History Commons^™

Present Laughter, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1974 Summer Theatre

Present Laughter follows a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor Garry Essendine as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa. Amid a series of events bordering on farce, Garry has to deal with women who want to seduce him, placate both his long-suffering secretary and his estranged wife, cope with a crazed young playwright, and overcome his impending mid-life crisis, since he has recently turned forty.

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

Kiss Me Kate, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973-1974 Season

Kiss Me, Kate is a musical that involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and the conflict on and off-stage between Fred Graham, the show's director, producer, and star, and his leading lady, his ex-wife Lilli Vanessi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_Me,_Kate

Three Men On A Horse, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1973-1974 Season

Three Men on a Horse is a play about a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself.

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

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...

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 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.

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

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 …

Black Comedy And The Tiger, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1970 Summer Theatre

Black Comedy - Black Comedy is a one-act farce by Peter Shaffer, first performed in 1965. The play is written to be staged under a reversed lighting scheme: the play opens on a darkened stage. A few minutes into the show there is a short circuit, and the stage is illuminated to reveal the characters in a "blackout." On the few occasions when matches, lighters, or torches are lit, the lights grow dimmer. The title of the play is a pun.

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

The Tiger - The Tiger is one of two short plays written by Murray Schisgal and published in …

Twelfth Night, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1969-1970 Season

Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–02 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centers on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola (who is disguised as Cesario) falls in love with Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with the Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her thinking she is a man. The play expanded on the musical interludes and riotous disorder expected of the occasion, with plot elements …

The World Of Carl Sandburg, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1969-1970 Season

The World of Carl Sandburg brings to the stage selections from ten of Sandburg's major works, including The People, Yes, Always the Young Strangers and The American Songbag. They show the basic uncluttered, incessantly hopeful lifeblood that was and is the foundation of our country. Through the media of speech, music, dance and stage actions, we present characters, emotions and memories that have made Sandburg a founding father in American poetry. We bring you no set time, no set people, no set age--only the ever-applicable Sandburg.

-Teri Hiatt

Once Upon A Mattress, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1968 Summer Theatre

Due to an unhappy curse, King Sextimus is unable to speak. Meanwhile, his terror-of-a-wife, Queen Aggravain, has taken over control of the kingdom. Most importantly, in an attempt to keep Prince Dauntless single, she has decreed that only the princess that can pass her test may marry her son. Further, no one else in the kingdom may marry until Prince Dauntless does. Lady Larken and Sir Harry are extremely disturbed by this fact since Lady Larken is now pregnant with Sir Harry's baby. Luckily, Sir Harry is able to find an amazing princess, Winnifred the Woebegone. She instantly catches the …

Carousel, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1967-1968 Season

The story revolves around carousel barker Billy Bigelow, whose romance with millworker Julie Jordan comes at the price of both their jobs. He attempts a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child; after it goes wrong, he is given a chance to make things right. A secondary plot line deals with millworker Carrie Pipperidge and her romance with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow. The show includes the well-known songs "If I Loved You", "June Is Bustin' Out All Over" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

The Wizard Of Oz, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1967-1968 Season

No abstract provided.

The Fantasticks, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1967 Summer Theatre

The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play The Romancers (Les Romanesques) by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud. The fathers hire traveling actors to stage a mock abduction, so that Matt can heroically seem to save Luisa, ending the supposed feud. When the children discover the deception, they reject the arranged love match and separate. Each then gains disillusioning experiences of the real world, …

Brigadoon, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1966-1967 Season

Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love", have become standards. The story involves two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years. Tommy, one of the tourists, falls in love with Fiona, a young woman from Brigadoon.

The original production opened on Broadway in 1947 and ran for 581 performances. It starred David Brooks, Marion Bell, Pamela Britton, and Lee Sullivan. In 1949, Brigadoon opened at the …

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1966-1967 Season

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a Broadway play that debuted at the Little Theatre on West 44th Street, New York City, on October 31, 1912. Based on the stories by the Brothers Grimm, it was produced by Winthrop Ames who had written it under the pseudonym "Jessie Braham White." The play met with favorable reviews and became the basis for the 1916 film, Snow White.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912 play). (2016, August 31). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:38, June 12, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1912_play)&oldid=737081172

The Boy Friend - Uso Tour, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

The Boy Friend, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1963-1964 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

The Pajama Game, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1962-1963 Season

The Pajama Game is a musical based on the 1953 novel 7½ Cents by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story deals with labor troubles in a pajama factory, where workers' demands for a seven-and-a-half cent raise are going unheeded. In the midst of this ordeal, love blossoms between Babe, the grievance committee head, and Sid, the new factory superintendent.

The Boy Friend, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1961-1962 Season

Set against the backdrop of the French Riviera, this romantic spoof of 1920s musical comedies tells the story of English heiress, Polly, who is longing for only one thing: a boy friend. Polly's father, convinced that any boy who isn't wealthy will court Polly strictly for her financial situation, forbids her to engage any potential suitors. Honoring his wishes, Polly explains to Tony, the messenger boy with whom she's fallen in love, that she is no rich girl. This is just the tip of the mistaken identity iceberg, as love proceeds to find its way charmingly through nearly every member …

Inherit The Wind, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1960-1961 Season

Inherit the Wind is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which resulted in John T. Scopes' conviction for teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution to a high school science class, contrary to a Tennessee state law.

Ah, Wilderness!, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1958-1959 Season

Ah, Wilderness! is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theater on October 2, 1933. It varies from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a happy family in turn of the century America. It is O'Neill's only well-known comedy. Ah, Wilderness!. (2017, April 30). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:10, May 23, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ah,_Wilderness!&oldid=777914403

One Acts, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1958-1959 Season

"The purpose of the Annual Freshman One-Acts is fourfold: first, these plays offer advanced members of Cap and Dagger an opportunity to gain valuable directing experience; secondly, the plays offer valuable acting experience and training to those Freshmen who are interested in dramatics; thirdly tonight's plays are the Cap and Dagger Dramatic Club annual Christmas gift to the students and faculty of Otterbein College, and the the village of Westerville; and lastly, to provide a greater variety of dramatic entertainment for our audience".

As You Like It, Otterbein University Theatre And Dance Department

1907-1958 Productions

We celebrate the best of Shakespeare with laughter...music...dances...romance...comedy at all levels. The story of how the banished Duke, Rosalind, Orlando and others find happiness through love is one of the most delightful of all Shakespearean tales. The wit of the clown, Touchstone, the philosophy of "All the world's a stage...", the music of "It was a lover and his lass...", the earthy needs of the country people, the romantic honesty of young lovers in tune with nature...all can be found in As You Like It.