Theatre
2017-2018 Theatre Performances at Greensboro College
Ticket prices $10 adults, $8 seniors/students. (price includes sales tax). Performances are free to Greensboro College students, faculty and staff (with college ID)
Reserve tickets by calling 336-272-7102, ext. 5242, or emailing tickets@greensboro.edu.
Aug. 18-20, 2017: “This Property Known as Garland,” by Billy Van Zandt, directed by Perry Morgan-Hall.
Her talent is legendary. Her true story more electrifying than you’d ever imagine. A fictional backstage account of the legendary singer Judy Garland’s final concert appearance at the Falconre Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark, March 25, 1969. With her wicked wit, Judy dishes the dirt on her M-G-M co-stars, her husbands, and more … taking us down the yellow brick road of her incredible life.
“‘Garland fans wouldn’t have it any other way!” – Associated Press
“Thrilling to watch!” – Variety
“A good job of capturing Garland’s witty and deeply vulnerable persona. ” – New York Post
“Riveting and on the money.” – Broadwayworld.com
“Fascinating!” – Broadway.com
“An amazing tour de force!” – BroadwayBox.com
“An affectionate portrait of the artist late in her life!” – Star Ledger
Aug. 31-Sept. 3, 2017: “Far Away,” by Caryl Churchill, directed by Kristin Wright
Confronting our deepest fears, Caryl Churchill’s extraordinary play depicts a chilling world where everyone is at war, and not even the birds in the trees or the river below can be trusted. This hour-long, futuristic nightmare envisions a world where the promise of violence broods and nothing is to be trusted. Written by the celebrated author of “Top Girls” and “Cloud Nine,” this innovative work consists of three brief scenes. In the first, a young girl spending her first night in her new guardian’s house witnesses a bloody slaughter. Next, the girl, now grown, is spending her first day working in a hat factory. There, she and a young man concoct funny and elaborate hats that are to be worn for a horrific purpose. In the final scene, the boy and girl, now wed, are seeking refuge from a global conflict in which even the animals are on one side or another.
“Ravishing, deeply disturbing. … Has the picturesque form and gentle rhythms of a fairy tale. There is an uncommon density and sureness of purpose. … Each carefully chosen detail seems to vibrate with unsettled depths. And each summons anxieties both primal and mercilessly particular to the times in which we live. … With each new play, Ms. Churchill seems to come up with new rhythms and language to match, in exhilarating theatrical terms, what are scarcely trivial subjects.” – The New York Times
“…brilliant. … This play feels more resonant than ever.” — The Guardian
Oct. 19-22, 2017: “Disaster!” Concept by Seth Rudestsky and Drew Geraci, book by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick, directed by Perry Morgan, choreographed by Ashley Hyers, musical direction by Marie Denig
“Disaster!” is a new musical straight from Broadway that pays homage to classic disaster films and features some of the most unforgettable songs of the ’70s. “Knock on Wood,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Sky High,” “I Am Woman” and “Hot Stuff” are just a few of the scintillating hits in this hilarious musical comedy with a book by three-time Emmy Award nominee Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick.
It’s 1979, and New York’s hottest A-listers are lining up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. Also attending is a faded disco star, a sexy nightclub singer with her 11-year-old twins, a disaster expert, a feminist reporter, an older couple with a secret, a pair of young guys who are looking for ladies, an untrustworthy businessman and a nun with a gambling addiction. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters, such as earthquakes, tidal waves and infernos. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they’ve lost … or at least escape the killer rats. With larger-than-life characters, snappy dialogue and some of the most recognizable songs of the ’70s, “Disaster!” will have audience members dancing in their seats and rolling in the aisles.
“Disaster! is pure maximalism — a big, old-fashioned musical with big numbers and big performances.”– Entertainment Weekly
Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2017:
- “The Gift of the Magi,” adaptation, music, and lyrics by Peter Ekstrom, based on O. Henry’s short story
- “A Christmas Carol,” adapted and directed by David Schram, based on Charles Dickens’s Christmas story
“The Gift of the Magi” is an adaptation of the classic O. Henry short story, told through music and lyrics, of the young couple in New York on Christmas Eve 1905, who loved each other so much that each sold his most prized possession to buy the other a Christmas present. Their special gifts bring a touching reaffirmation of their unselfish love.
“A Christmas Carol” like you’ve never seen before. This is a shortened version of the Charles Dickens classic story played by four performers. Guest performers will be members of the Greensboro College and the local communities. Laugh and cry as you follow the classic characters – Scrooge, Marley, Cratchit, The Ghosts and Tiny Tim – through this inspiring story that captures the essence of the great tale and of the meaning of Christmas. You will enjoy well-known personalities like you’ve never seen them before!
This adaptation of “The Gift of the Magi” was first presented at the college in 1991 and this adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” was first presented here in 1998. The paring of both of these shows into one evening is a first for Greensboro College.
Jan. 25-28, 2018:
- “Check, Please!,” by Jonathan Rand, directed by Rebecca Hougas
- “Tropical Depression,” by Jack Heifner, directed by Caroline Meisner
- “The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year,” by John Guare, directed by Dan Seaman
“Check, Please!” — Dating can be hard. Especially when your date happens to be a raging kleptomaniac, or your grandmother’s bridge partner, or a mime. “Check, Please!” follows a series of blind dinner dates that couldn’t get any worse — until they do. Could there possibly be a light at the end of the tunnel?
“Simply wonderful! One of the best one-acts I’ve judged in several years.” — Iowa High School Speech Association
“Kept the audience in stitches!” — The Interlake Spectator
“Tropical Depression” – In a slightly seedy resort hotel on a remote Caribbean island, two high-living Texas housewives, Gloria and Janine, are enjoying a respite from their rich but boring husbands. They are determined to savor their holiday to the fullest, but nature has other plans. First they get burned to a crisp by the tropical sun, then a hurricane imprisons them in their tacky room. In between, however, Gloria defiantly spends a great deal of her absent husband’s money on various “art treasures,” while Janine (a former Miss Texas) pays for the favors of a handsome lifeguard, an act which jolts them both back to reality and makes them re-examine just who they are and what they really want from life.
“The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year” – He and She first meet when She is feeding pigeons in the park and He asks her for the plastic favor at the bottom of the Crackerjack box. He tells her outlandish stories about his wife, his sister, and himself. She begins to wonder if he is not utterly mad. She is lonely and wants to be married, but is that the answer? The sight of a fat woman pushing two gross children in a perambulator increases her doubts, but then she notices that a blind dog walks beside her, and everything begins to make strange, awful and rather dismaying sense.
“…a fine comedy in the tradition of theatre of the absurd.” — Show Business.
Feb. 22-25, 2018: “‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore,” by John Ford, adapted and directed by Ana Radulescu
This the story of a passionate and romantic forbidden love. The play’s treatment of its subject matter made it one of the most controversial works in English literature. Until well into the 20th century, critics were usually harsh in their condemnations. The subject matter offended them. The violence is typical of a tragedy of this period with subjects like blasphemy, obsession, and revenge. Suffice it to say, the 17th century was not a time when such things were taken lightly! Will this 21st-century adaptation enthrall, entice, shock? Come and see for yourself!
April 19-22, 2018: “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” by Neil Simon, directed by Jo Hall
Inspired by the playwright’s youthful experience as a staff writer on Sid Caesar’s early television hit “Your Show of Shows,” with all the attendant comic drama as the harried writing staff frantically scrambles to top each other with gags while competing for the attention of star madman “Max Prince.”
“Old style comedy: fast and furious.” – The Wall Street Journal
“One of [Simon’s] funniest. … Comedy, comedy all the way.” – Newsweek
“Enough laughs per minute to assure [it] a long run and many happy audiences.” – USA Today
“The funniest comedy on Broadway in years.” – Variety
April 27-29, 2018: “On Solid Ground,” concept, direction and choreography by Ashley Hyers and Perry Morgan-Hall.
Produced by the same artistic duo that created the 2017 hit dance theatre piece “Tonin’,” which showcased the music of the musical group The Manhattan Transfer, this year’s dance theatre piece will showcase the music of the renowned “Irish Cowboy,” Van Morrison.
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