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By The Bog of Cats
Daniel Inouye
Written by Marina Carr
Directed by Daniel Inouye
October 3-5, 8pm
October 6, 3pm
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Shoeless Joe: Lost in the O.Z.
Susan Hurley
Directed by: Susan Hurley
October 12 at 8pm
October 13 at 3pm
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Tartuffe
Ed Cohen
Written by Moliere
Translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur
Directed by Ed Cohen
November 14-16 & 22-23, 8pm
November 17 & 24, 3pm
November 21, 10am performance recommended for Jr High and High School audiences
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The Fall Senior Series
Ashlyn Moore, Solangie Almeyda, Lea Ratos, Sierra Emery, and Ella Murray
Created and presented by department seniors
December 13 &14, 8pm
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: as performed by TJ Barker’s Troupe of Theatricals
Daniel Inouye
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Performed by TJ Barker's Troupe of Theatricals
- Written by Ernie Nolan
- Directed by Daniel Inouye
Professor TJ Barker and his troupe of traveling theatricals have just arrived at the theatre to begin a performance of their spectacular production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when they realize something is amiss. Not only has the orchestra not arrived, but also five of the hilarious O'Hanlon brothers have been stricken with food poisoning. Now only two actors are left to play the dwarfs! Can Professor Barker rally his troupe and prove that the show can go on? Follow their madcap theatrical adventure as they take turns acting, puppeteering, and becoming the orchestra while performing one of the most beloved fairy tales of all time. Through ingenuity and will power, they prove in the end that anything can happen once upon a time.
March 4-6 & 8-10 @ 7:00pm March 7 @ 3:00pm
Estimated Runtime: 1 hour, no intermission
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2020 Spring Senior Series
Messiah College
Friday, March 6 @ 8pm Saturday, March 7 @ 2pm
Poorman Black Box Theater, Climenhaga Building, Messiah College
Two original pieces will be featured;
- All in the Timing, Directed by Aidan Lewis
- Aurora Spectrum, Created & performed by Sara Parrish & Leah DePra.
Estimated Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
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2020 Spring Senior Series (Weekend 2)
Messiah College
Saturday, March 7 @ 8pm
Sunday, March 8 @ 2pm
Poorman Black Box Theater, Climenhaga Building, Messiah College
- Her Story, created & performed by Abbie Weinel, featuring Jim Hy
- More, created & performed by Micah Crandall, featuring Katie Phykitt
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Anne of Green Gables - February 2020
Messiah College
Directed by Ed Cohn
Music Direction by Eric Dundore
Choreography by Gregg Hurley
Anne of Green Gables follows the misadventures of a wildly independent orphan with fiery red hair and a temper to match. Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent to live with a plainspoken farmer and his spinster sister, who thought they were adopting a boy! As she attempts to win over the Cuthburts and all of Prince Edward Island with her irrepressible spirit and imagination, she wins over the audience with this warm, poignant story about love, home, and family. Cherished by generations, Lucy Maud Montgomery's timeless classic comes to life in this charming musical praised for capturing the essence of the literary work through its simplicity of language and beautiful orchestrations.
Estimated Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
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Antigone - October 2020
Daniel Inouye and Katie Anne Phykitt
Antigone Written by Sophocles Directed by Katie Anne Phykitt & Daniel Inouye
Brothers Polyneices and Eteocles died at each other’s sword. The newly appointed King Creon praises Eteocles as worthy of a burial with military honors but deems Polyneices a traitor to his country and decrees he shall be left unburied. Antigone is a fierce battle of wills between Antigone, who believes in loyalty to family and honor to the divine, and Creon, who believes in loyalty to the state and honor to the law. Antigone was written in roughly 441 BC, but its themes of fervent activism, feminism, political dissent, and justice make this play so relevant, it could have been written yesterday. This production places the action of the story in the present day and uses a modern lens to view an ancient story.
*Please note that this performance contains some mature content (reference to suicide) and may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.*
Climenhaga Building, Poorman Black Box Theatre October 1-3 and 5-7, 8 p.m. October 4, 3:00 p.m.
Estimated Runtime: 1 hr 15 mins (no intermission)
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As it is in Heaven - April 2020
Messiah College
Written by Arlene Hutton
Directed by Daniel Inouye
A Shaker community in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, in the 1830s is, well, shaken after newcomer Fanny joins and some of its young female members begin to see visions and claim spiritual gifts. These “gifts” cause the young girls to dance, twirl, see angels, shout out and fall into awed trances, completely upending the community. The elder members see these experiences as mere flights of fancy, excuses not to do chores and a disruption of orderly worship. They question Fanny’s intentions and honesty, and the community must decide if this is a true spiritual resurgence or something manufactured by Fanny and the other girls.
April 2–4 and 17–18, 2020, 8 p.m. April 5 and 19, 2020, 3 p.m.
Climenhaga Building, Miller Theater
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Daring to Move: Dance Explorations of Uncertainty, Risk, and Emotional Exposure - February 2020
Messiah College
“Daring to Move: Dance Explorations of Uncertainty, Risk and Emotional Exposure” Humanities Symposium dance concert
Gregg Hurley, director
Poorman Black Box Theater
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The Birds
Ed Cohn
The Birds
- Written by Aristophanes
- Directed by Ed Cohn
Written by Aristophanes, The Birds is a comedy looking at demagogues and their rise to power. The story follows Pisthetaerus and Euelpides, two Athenians who set out in search of a better life. Eschewing the city life they've known— which is crowded, noisy, and full of annoying pests such as poets, lawyers, philosophers, and tax collectors— they seek out Epops, King of the Birds, who might advise them of the ideal place to settle. However, seeing the life of the birds, the two decide to convince Epops and the rest of the birds to build a Utopian city in the sky called Cloud Cuckoo Land!
Climenhaga Building, Poorman Black Box Theater October 29-31 and November 2-3, 8:00 p.m. November 1, 3:00 p.m.
Estimated Runtime: 1 hr 30 mins (no intermission)
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2019 Fall Senior Series
Messiah College
An evening of performance created and presented by department seniors
The Fall Senior Series: “Aku Jelajahi (I [will] Travel)”
December 6 & 7 @ 8pm December 7 @ 3pm Grace Pollock Dance Studio
Created & Performed by James Lim Featuring Rachel Lauver
Every individual’s story is different, and whether we like to admit it or not, we have been shaped by our society. We are all yearning for purpose—each struggling to find a way to marry our vocations with our passions, while searching for how to make an impact that will leave a legacy long after we’re gone. Through life’s ups and downs, we are constantly finding ways to grow and mature. Join James as he explores his life’s ups and downs, the things that have impacted his life, and where life might lead in the future.
*Please note that this performance contains mature content (adult language, reference to sexual assault) and may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.*
Estimated Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
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2019 Fall Senior Series: “Great Challenges, Greater Joy” & “Sam and Charlie”
Lindsey Blank, Brooklyn Duttweiler, Brittany Grove, and Ellen Diehl
December 13 & 14, 2019 @ 8pm Poorman Black Box Theater, Climenhaga Building, Messiah College Estimated Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes (time includes one 15 minute intermission)
Great Challenges, Greater Joy Created by Lindsey Blank & Brooklyn Duttweiler
In our lives we have found that art explores life’s greatest challenges while also expressing the joy that God gives. In pursuit of this creative endeavor, we showcase the different redemption stories that have altered our perceptions. Through the combination of dance and costuming, we have worked to express those emotions that are too difficult to put into words.
Estimated runtime: 30 minutes
Sam and Charlie Created & Performed by Brittany Grove & Ellen Diehl
Sam is a vocalist. Charlie is a dog. When Sam faces challenges in her career and her relationship with her mother, Charlie tries to help with the charm that only a canine could possess. A playful frolic of camaraderie and fun, this story explores relationships and how we communicate with those closest to us.
*There will be a talkback after this performance with the creators of Sam and Charlie. Join us after the show to discuss impactful moments and give feedback to develop the original work.
Estimated runtime: 45 minutes
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Blue Christmas - November 2019
Messiah College
Directed by Gregg Hurley
Have the unexpected twists and turns of life thrown you for a loop this year? Are you feeling challenged by the upcoming holidays? Reflect, process, and prepare for this season of Advent with us through the media of text, music, and dance. Together we will acknowledge that we all experience times of disappointment and difficulty that leave us clinging for signs of hope and relief.
Performance Date: Nov. 21, 2019, 7 PM
Poorman Black Box Theater, Climenhaga Building, Messiah College
Estimated runtime: 1 hour
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She Stoops to Conquer - November 2019
Elizabeth Angelozzi
Directed by: Elizabeth Angelozzi
Pranks and hijinks abound in this raucous 18th century comedy of big costumes, big sets, big hair, and even bigger laughs. Two well-bred young men arrive at the country estate of Mr. Hardcastle, intending to woo his daughter Kate and her cousin Constance; but when local mischief-maker Tony Lumpkin plays a practical joke on the city slickers, the Hardcastle household is launched into a dizzying, deliciously preposterous romp of mistaken identity.
Estimated Runtime: 2 hours 40 minutes
Performance Dates: Nov. 14-17; 22-24, 2019
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W;t - October 2019
Messiah College
Written by Margaret Edson
Directed by Edward Cohn
Margaret Edson’s powerfully imagined Pulitzer Prize–winning play examines what makes life worth living through her exploration of one of existence’s unifying experiences—mortality—while she also probes the vital importance of human relationships.
Climenhaga Building Poorman Black Box Theater
October 3-5, 8 p.m.; Oct. 6, 3 p.m.
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The Tempest - November 2018
Messiah College
“The Tempest” Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Daniel Inouye
Shakespeare’s story of shipwreck, magic, vengeance, and reconciliation. This production will reimagine the character of Prospero as a woman. On a distant island Prospera waits, betrayed and exiled, spending years plotting her revenge. When fate places her old enemies within her reach, Prospera summons a magical storm that shipwrecks them onto her island. But after all these years, what revenge does she mean to take? The Tempest asks us to examine whether old injustices can lead to new hope or whether we repeat our past sins. For Prospera, that choice leads to unexpected consequences and love ultimately paving the way for reconciliation.
Estimated runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes
Performance dates:
Nov. 8-10 & 16-17 @ 8:00pm
Nov. 11 & 18 @ 3:00pm
Nov. 15 @ 10:00am
The Department of Theatre and Dance is a close-knit community of student artists, theatre and dance professionals seeking to better understand and practice their craft and their calling in Christ. A caring yet challenging team of faculty mentors work alongside students to discover and develop their creative gifts. This is a sampling of their work.
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