{"id":53122,"date":"2017-06-24T15:26:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-24T15:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/theater\/?p=53122"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:41:26","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T14:41:26","slug":"2016-2017-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/theater\/2017\/06\/24\/2016-2017-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Production Archives"},"content":{"rendered":"

2018\u20132019 Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Arsonists<\/h3>\n

By Max Frisch in a new translation by Alistair Beaton<\/p>\n

Directed by Barbra Berlovitz<\/p>\n

“A man with convictions finds an answer for everything. Convictions are the best form of protection against the living truth.”<\/p>\n

\u2013 Max Frisch<\/p>\n

In an unspecified town, houses are set ablaze and arsonists are enjoying the destruction.\u00a0 At Beidermann\u2019s house, two such people are offered shelter from the rain.\u00a0 They are given a place to sleep, wined and dined until they finally leave.\u00a0 The house, of course, burns to the ground.<\/p>\n

This topical dark comedy is funny, musical and outrageous. The \u201chero\u201d is a business owner who has just ruthlessly fired a longtime employee. He lives with his wife and maid who are powerless to make this self-centered man see the truth.\u00a0 There are two arsonists, one a trickster who deceives others to get what he wants, the other is his sidekick, an ex-wrestler.\u00a0 Both are dangerous.\u00a0 There is an academic who has ideas but doesn\u2019t act on them and a policeman who could save the day but doesn\u2019t. Finally, there is the chorus of firemen.\u00a0 And like the Greek chorus of ancient Greece, they sing their way through the story but, alas, effect no change.<\/p>\n

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Mud<\/h3>\n

By Mar\u00eda Irene Forn\u00e9s<\/p>\n

Directed by Lauren Syme<\/p>\n

In Maria Irene Fornes\u2019s play Mud<\/em>, Mae, a strong-willed and fiery woman, struggles to free herself from the abusive men who tether her to a dirty and impoverished farm. Her courage and quick wit are her only tools, but will they be enough?<\/p>\n

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Ghost Sonata<\/h3>\n

By August Strindberg<\/p>\n

A Workshop Experiment with Sod House Theater<\/p>\n

Sod House Theater is working with students on an experimental and immersive theater event. Using Strindberg\u2019s play\u00a0Ghost Sonata<\/em>\u00a0and research on the journey of Swedish immigrants to St. Paul in the mid-1800s, students are devising original performances and movement sequences. Audience members will promenade through the studio, hallway and greenroom of Foss and encounter intimate performances, historical references of Swedish immigration and character artifacts. The material generated will inform a larger production in fall of 2019 in St. Paul.<\/p>\n

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Pluma and the Tempest<\/h3>\n

By Ar\u00edstides Vargas, translation by\u00a0Beliza Torres Narv\u00e1ez<\/p>\n

Directed by Beliza Torres Narv\u00e1ez<\/p>\n

This is a dystopian play\u00a0in the Latin American tradition of magical realism that tells the story of a youngster of unspecified gender who runs away after being born to a hostile world. They find themselves\u00a0living in the inner city streets, meeting all kinds of people and facing all kinds of dangers. The kid fights to learn from these experiences and to assert their personhood. Despite being adrift like a feather in a storm, Pluma attempts to preserve their hope and survive.<\/p>\n

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ZERO-INFINITY FLIGHT PATH<\/h3>\n

By Jessica Huang\"Zero<\/a><\/p>\n

Directed by Ricardo V\u00e1zquez<\/p>\n

Created by Other Tiger Productions<\/p>\n

ZERO-INFINITY FLIGHT PATH\u00a0begins at the end of a journey to the top of a mysterious mountain. A girl, her mother, and a guide climb up in order for the girl to enact a sacrifice for the salvation of those at the base. But the closer she gets to completing her journey, the more she begins to question its validity\u00a0\u00a0causing the entire party to contend with crises of doubt and questions of free will.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
ZERO-INFINITY FLIGHT PATH is a play that digs into the paradoxes within Systems and Institutions, and the moments when it is critical to listen to the small individual inner voice of truth. It seeks to highlight the dangerous compromises we make daily – the conflicts we face such as listening to a dogmatic group vs. listening to ourselves, following orders vs. following our instincts, and reacting impulsively vs. responding carefully. The play seeks to expose and heal the ways that dogmatic beliefs can create barriers between people.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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2017\u20132018 Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Crucible<\/h3>\n

By Arthur Miller<\/p>\n

Directed by Darcey Engen<\/p>\n

This contemporary site-specific revision of Arthur Miller\u2019s\u00a0The Crucible\u00a0<\/em>will perform at Bethany Lutheran Church on Franklin Avenue close to the Augsburg campus. Audiences will experience the play in close proximity to the actors as they move through the sanctuary and surrounding spaces. In a time of fake news and alternative facts, Arthur Miller\u2019s\u00a0The Crucible<\/em>, a play about the Salem witch trails in colonial Massachusetts 1692, seems more significant then ever. Written by Miller in 1953 in response to McCarthyism, the play examines the dangers of extremism, fabricated accusations, and shattered trust.<\/p>\n

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The Misunderstanding (Le Malentendu)<\/h3>\n

By Albert Camus<\/p>\n

Directed by Del Logeais<\/p>\n

A prodigal son returns home unrecognized, having been abroad for twenty years, to an inn run by his mother and sister\u2014who have been killing lodgers in order to make a living for themselves.\u00a0In an immersive re-imagining of this rarely performed play, described by Camus as the theatrical piece that \u201cresembles him the most,\u201d\u00a0The Misunderstanding<\/em>\u00a0explores concepts of grief, guilt, and the absurdity of existence in a world that is equally cruel to the innocent and the criminal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui\"Promotional<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n

By Bertolt Brecht<\/p>\n

Directed by Warren Bowles<\/p>\n

Brecht sets his satirical tale in Chicago during the turbulent times of Depression and Prohibition. Things are not going well for the Cauliflower Trust and so\u00a0Arturo Ui seizes the opportunity to grasp power. Brecht directly references the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich though his parable is perfect for our modern times.<\/p>\n

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The World of Puppetry & Mask<\/h3>\n

Led by Masanari Kawahara\"Promotion<\/a><\/p>\n

Giving life to inanimate objects made from cardboard, masking tape, newspapers and papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9, we will create small and intimately-scaled puppet theater. Different forms introduced may include object theater, hand puppets, figure puppets, and doll\/bunraku puppets and masks. We will explore creating an intimate theater from scratch inspired by poems, obituaries, or a love letter.<\/p>\n

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Take Care<\/h3>\n

Led by Janaki Ranpura<\/p>\n

See something. Say nothing.<\/p>\n

Are these phrases an encouragement to mistrust? Perhaps we could take them as instructions for play. A group of students create care packages to leave in public. The results of what happens transform into performance for the showing of “Take Care.”<\/p>\n

\"promotion\"Promotion<\/h2>\n

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2016\u20132017 Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cymbeline<\/h3>\n

By William Shakespeare<\/p>\n

Directed by Darcey Engen<\/p>\n

Cymbeline<\/em>, one of William Shakespeare\u2019s final plays, is a fantastical fairy tale that swings from comedic heights to tragic despair with an added touch of romance. Taking place during King Cymbeline\u2019s reign in Britain, the play tells the story of Princess Imogen\u2019s romance with the courteous but poor Posthumus, their secret marriage and his consequent banishment. The couple\u2019s journey back to each other involves wagers and poison, hidden identities, long-lost brothers, deceitful villains, a lost bracelet, evil stepmothers, ineffectual fathers, and an invasion by the Roman army.<\/p>\n

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Silence is Health\/Silencio es Salud<\/h3>\n

By Karina Casiano<\/p>\n

Directed by Beliza Torres Narvaez<\/p>\n

November 17th, 18th, and 19th at 7 P.M.
\n<\/sup>November\u00a020th at 3 P.M.<\/p>\n

Sara is a prominent TV reporter eager to do anything to get high ratings. She is getting married to a well-known intellectual writer, but her picture perfect wedding \u2013which is not as perfect as it seems \u2013 is about to take an unexpected turn captured by the cameras. As Sara tries to make sense of what just happened, we get a glimpse of the past events that might have led to her loved ones being targeted. We also get to go forward in time and witness what happened after the wedding. Thus, we learn some of the answers that Sara will most likely never find.<\/p>\n

Casiano\u2019s site-specific play Silence is Health\/Silencio es Salud<\/em> is based on official documents, testimonies, historical research and analyses of similar periods of political crisis and the consequent state of surveillance in Argentina, Guatemala, Chile, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Israel and the United States. How much of your civil and human rights are you willing to give up in the name of \u201cnational security\u201d? What if things that only happen \u201cto other people,\u201d or \u201cin other countries\u201d happen to you?<\/p>\n

Don’t say you didn’t know…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Betrayal<\/h3>\n

By Harold Pinter<\/p>\n

Student-Directed by Jack Morton<\/p>\n

February\u00a02nd, 3rd and 4th at 7 P.M.<\/p>\n

Betrayal <\/em>circles around the complicated relationship of married couple Emma and Robert, and Emma\u2019s affair with Robert\u2019s best friend Jerry. Pinter\u2019s innovative use of reverse chronological order challenges the audience to explore broken trust between partners and friends and the consequences to life\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Beyond the Silence<\/h3>\n
Directed by \u00a0Malick Ceesay<\/div>\n
A creative collaboration with E.G. Bailey and Sh\u00e1 Cage<\/div>\n

February\u00a02nd, 3rd, 4th at 8:30 P.M.<\/p>\n

“Beyond the Silence\u00a0<\/i>is a spoken word piece\u00a0that is themed\u00a0around the\u00a0value of voices in various contexts.\u00a0\u00a0This ensemble-created piece will be an exploration\u00a0of what it means for voices to be silenced,\u00a0underrepresented, or neglected in spaces\u00a0that are valued\u00a0and found as\u00a0important for change.\u00a0 Through poetry and performance, hear the experiences of this group and the power they carry through their voices.”<\/p>\n

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Passing Strange<\/h3>\n

Book and Lyrics by STEW<\/p>\n

Music by STEW and Heidi Rodewald<\/p>\n

Directed by Jamil Jude<\/p>\n

Thursday, March 30th\u00a0at 7:00 P.M.
\nFriday March 31st\u00a0at 7:00 P.M.
\nSaturday, April 1st\u00a0at 7:00 P.M.
\nSunday, April 2nd\u00a0at 3:00 P.M.<\/p>\n

Saturday April 8th at 3:00 P.M.
\nSaturday April 8th at 7:00 P.M.
\nSunday\u00a0\u00a0April 9th at 3:00 P.M.<\/p>\n

Part comedy. Part coming-of-age story. Full-out rock concert! PASSING STRANGE, a Tony award-winning musical, is a genre-bending exploration of an artist’s journey to find life’s truths. The story follows Youth, a young Black man raised in the idyllic hills of California, as he passes through life, learning about himself and the world around him, through music and the people he meets because of it. Throughout his journey for “the real,” he gains so much, but is what he gives up too much? Will the ends justify the means? Will everything be alright?<\/p>\n

“Call it a rock concert with a story to tell, trimmed with a lot of great jokes. Or call it a sprawling work of performance art, complete with angry rants and drag queens… I’ll just call it wonderful” – New York Times<\/p>\n

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DSCF9996<\/a>