Fall Theatre Productions Focus of Interdisciplinary Dialogue Series: Alternate Realities

Each dialogue session begins at 7:15 p.m. and no reservations are required. The first dialogue, “Bending Reality: Escapism, Pop Culture, and Fantasy in Reckless” is scheduled on Monday, September 13 in the Theresa Lang Theatre. 

This conversation will focus on ways escapism, popular culture, and fantasy interact in Reckless and how the production’s design team will translate those concepts to the stage. Participants: Rob Dutiel, M.F.A., associate professor of theatre arts and set designer for Reckless; Gretchen Engle, theatre arts major and lighting designer for Reckless; Nicole Given, theatre arts major, dramaturg and assistant director onReckless; David Linton, Ph.D., professor of communication arts); and Rocco DiSanti, projection designer for Reckless. 

Jill Stevenson, Ph.D., assistant professor of theatre arts, says the dialogues serve as a learning opportunity that enriches a performance for audience members. 

“The more you know, the more you can build upon as you watch and interpret what you see and hear onstage,” Stevenson says. “The dialogues are therefore intentionally designed to give those directly involved in the production, as well as audience members, insight into the play and thus to enhance everyone’s experience of the production. Moreover, the dialogues reveal the importance of research to the theatrical enterprise; rather than detracting from the production process, research enriches the experience for all of those involved, including the audience.” 

The remaining Dialogue Series schedule is as follows: 

“Shorts: Preconceptions and Possibilities Across Genres,” September 23 in the Regina Peruggi Room. Speakers will discuss the “short form” of artistic expression across various genres—film, theatre, music, creative writing—and, more specifically, how it relates to our fall productions of The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco and Geography of a Horse Dreamer by Sam Shepard. Participants: Kate Farrington, adjunct assistant professor of theatre and dramaturg for the Pearl Theatre; Alister Sanderson, Ph.D., professor of communication arts; Andy Warshaw, M.F.A., associate professor of music and dance; and Jerry Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of English. 

“The Power of Words: Theatrical Language in Post-War Drama,” October 6, in the Regina Peruggi Room. Writers after the first and second World Wars—including nonsense writers, absurdists, surrealists, and many other artists—experimented with language as a means of challenging traditional notions of realism and rationality. Panelists will discuss such uses as they relate to our fall productions and other works of art. Participants: Carrie-Ann Biondi, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy); Hallie Cohen, M.F.A., associate professor of art; Peter Naccarato, Ph.D., associate professor of English and chair of the Division of Humanities; Sarah Simmons, theatre arts major and dramaturg on “A Bill for Bill.” 

MMC’s fall theatre productions include: 

Reckless by Craig Lucas, directed by Ellen Orenstein; Wednesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 23 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, October 24 at 2 p.m. 

“A Bill for Bill” an evening of short plays in tribute to the late J. William Bordeau, professor emeritus of theatre arts and founder of the MMC theatre program. The evening will feature The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, in a new translation by Tina Howe, directed by Mary Fleischer, Ph.D., chair of the theatre department; and Geography of a Horse Dreamerby Sam Shepard, directed by David Mold, M.F.A.., chair of the Division of Fine and Performing Arts. “A Bill for Bill” will be presented from Wednesday, November 17 through Saturday, November 20 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, November 21 at 2 p.m. Playreadings in the Black Box Theatre, located on the lower level of Main Building, are also scheduled during the week of October 25. 

To reserve tickets, please contact the Theatre Office at (212) 774-0760 or theatretickets@mmm.edu beginning two weeks prior to opening night. 

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, independent, liberal arts college. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual achievement and personal growth and by providing opportunities for career development. For more information, visit www.mmm.edu.

Published: September 09, 2010