2018-2019 Theatre Performances
All tickets $10 (price includes sales tax) except where noted. 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.
“A Doll’s House, Part 2,” by Lucas Hnath. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 6-8, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 8-9, in the Annie Sellars Jordan Parlor Theatre in Main Building.
In the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking 1879 masterwork, “A Doll’s House,” Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children and begin a life on her own. This climactic event—when Nora slams the door on everything in her life—instantly propelled world drama into the modern age. In “A Doll’s House, Part 2,” many years have passed since Nora’s exit. Now, there’s a knock on that same door. Nora has returned. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind?
“[A] smart, funny and utterly engrossing play. … Hnath approaches what might seem like a hubristic project with the humility and avidity of an engaged Everyreader. ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ gives vibrant theatrical life to the conversations that many of us had after first reading or seeing its prototype.” —New York Times.
“…lucid and absorbing. … Modern in its language, mordant in its humor and suspenseful in its plotting … the play judiciously balances conflicting ideas about freedom, love and responsibility.” —Time Out NY.
“Hnath’s inspired writing, which endows each character with an arsenal of fastballs, curveballs and spitballs, keep[s] us disarmingly off-balance. He’s an uncommonly gifted parodist. For all its seriousness, ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’ is suffused with a contagious bemusement.” —Deadline.com.
“[A Doll’s House, Part 2] delivers explosive laughs while also posing thoughtful questions about marriage, gender inequality and human rights. … as much an ingenious elaboration and deconstruction of ‘A Doll’s House’ as a sequel, and it stands perfectly well on its own. … With unfussy eloquence, [the play] asks how much, in a century-plus, life has changed for Nora and women like her in a world that often still has firm ideas about where they belong.” —Hollywood Reporter.
“Words Are Weapons,” created by Caroline Meisner ’19 and cast, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in Lea Center in Main Building.
A senior Honors project by Theatre Education major Caroline Meisner, “Words Are Weapons” is an interactive theatre project that focuses on applying forum and community-based theatre to encourage social change. Audience participants will have the opportunity to observe, discuss, and interact with actors who will present real scenarios on how our words can be used to help or harm each other. “Words Are Weapons” seeks to provide a chance for creative, artistic problem-solving within our Greensboro College community to combat real social issues.
“The Tricky Part,” by Martin Moran, and “Paul Robeson,” by Phillip Hayes Dean, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 18-20, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, in the Annie Sellars Jordan Parlor Theatre in Main Building.
“The Tricky Part,” a true story of sexuality, spirituality and the mystery of human experience, is one of the most heralded one-man plays in recent memory. Between the ages of 12 and 15, the author had a sexual relationship with an older man. Now 42 and an established New York actor, he has transformed his story into a riveting, often funny and always surprising journey through the complexities of Catholicism, desire and human trespass. The New York premiere received a 2004 Obie award and two Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Play.
“A translucent memoir of a play…shattering.” —New York Times.
“Powerful.” — New York Post.
“Surprising and moving! Startling, marvelously told.” —New York Newsday.
“Deeply personal and exceedingly honest. It steadily builds from its unassuming beginning to an emotionally charged ending. A powerful, truthful account.” — Broadway.com.
“An emotionally honest play about sexuality and reconciliation.” —Associated Press.
“‘The Tricky Part’ is the most powerful play of the season.” —Next Magazine.
* * *
A powerful chronicle of the life of Paul Robeson, taking us from his childhood in New Jersey to his adult life around the world. An All-American athlete and a lawyer with Columbia Law School credentials, Robeson faces the racism prevalent in society in the early part of the 20th He strives to rise above, and it is his triumph in that struggle that turns Robeson into a modern-day hero. Realizing the racist system would not allow him to practice as a lawyer, Robeson turns to singing, something he had learned well in the church choir. His singing leads to acting, and his acting, with all the accolades due a master, leads him around the world. But every place he visits he sees the strains of racism in its many forms. The more he sees, the more he speaks out, using the his influence and stature to try to enlighten those around him. After some time in Europe, he returns to the United States to perform and speak out about the injustices in the country he loves. Confronting racism again, he sticks to his values, adhering to no party line, but is accused of being a Communist, an agitator and much more. He is blacklisted and his passport is revoked, but he goes on speaking out whenever he can. For eight years he fights to clear his name. Finally, the social climate begins to change and towards the end of his life, Robeson’s passport is reinstated along with some of the glory and respect he earned along the way. There is still far to go, but Paul Robeson remains a beacon to those struggling to make this world a better place. This play is a powerful look at the many facets of Robeson the man, as well as Robeson the star. It is a tour-de-force for any actor.
“Of all the imposing figures who have strutted across the stage of American culture in this century, none has been more invested with a superman mystique than Paul Robeson … and … Phillip Hayes Dean’s play ‘Paul Robeson’ should do nothing to diminish his stature. … ‘Paul Robeson’ conveys an inspiring moral fervor.” —New York Times.
“Phillip Hayes Dean’s … wonderfully moving play … traces Robeson’s remarkable career, from the time his father told him, ‘Go with your head and not your heart,’ through a life that careened him across the world stage. … A great show.” —New York Post.
“Mamma Mia!,” by Bjorn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Catherine Johnson: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 8-10, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 10-11, in the Gail Brower Huggins Performance Center in Odell Building.
ABBA’s hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman’s search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.
The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show. A large cast, non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers combine to make “Mamma Mia!” a guaranteed smash hit for any theatre. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!
“Just Like Us,” by Craig Sodaro, and “The Snow Queen,” adapted by Jonathan Graham, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, in Mane Stage in the Royce Reynolds Family Student Life Center, 1015 W. Market St. Tickets are specially priced at $5 for these children’s performances.
“Just Like Us,” an important play for young children, teaches a critical lesson about prejudice in a simple, non-preachy manner. The story is told by an old tree, who stands neglected in a park. On one side of the park live the poetry loving Greens. On the other side of the park the Blues reside, where they enjoy playing musical instruments. Sadly, there is nothing but intolerance, fear and hatred between the Greens and the Blues. Why? No one quite remembers, but these ingrained feelings diminish the quality of everybody’s lives, including the poor tree, who is left abandoned in the middle. When a storm brings the aqua and purple Allina to the park, both the Greens and the Blues learn some eye-opening lessons about each other and about life. This thought-provoking piece leaves the audience ready to launch into contemplative discussions and problem solving as children explore their own beliefs about stereotyping and prejudice.
* * *
When her best friend is kidnapped by the evil Snow Queen, 12-year-old Gerda goes on a quest to rescue him. With the help of a troll and elf, will Gerda be able to find her friend before his heart freezes forever? A fun, loose adaptation of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
“Hush Little Celia, Don’t Say a Word,” by Joseph Wallace, and “To the Lovely Margaret,” by Pearl and Thatcher Allred, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 1-2, in the Annie Sellars Jordan Parlor Theatre in Main Building.
“Celia” doesn’t speak. Her teachers want to know why. Her father is angry at her. Her psychologist wants to help her. But fellow student Todd only wants to get close to her. And, through persistence, bad poetry, and a bizarre audition for a production of “Romeo and Juliet,” he does. A gem of a play about love, psychology, and what happens to kids when they go unheard. The honesty of this play and the manner in which the characters have been brought to life will move audience and participants in a most profound way. It received standing ovations at its premier production in a contest setting with a judge stating: “A marvelous play – every single character is a gem.”
* * *
In “To the Lovely Margaret,” while attending college, the bookish Margaret is encouraged by her uncle and aunt to live life a little more fully.
“Starting Here, Starting Now,” by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Jan. 25-26, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 26-27, in the Annie Sellars Jordan Parlor Theatre in Main Building.
“Starting Here, Starting Now” is a thrilling and touching musical revue using the songs of Richard Maltby, Jr., and David Shire (“Big,” “Baby,” “Closer Than Ever”). In only 24 songs, “Starting Here, Starting Now” offers a tender-tough inventory of love and the lonesome lack thereof. Made for each other, the wry lyrics of Richard Maltby, Jr., combined with David Shire’s buoyant music, forge a fast-moving, ingratiating look at how love can go right, wrong or nowhere.
Using songs from their various early musicals (produced or otherwise), this bold, extroverted journey takes a winsome cast of three through the maze of modern relationships with its heart firmly on its sleeve. As with all of Maltby and Shire’s work, each song is an impeccably crafted story – original, engaging, bursting with character and showcasing the versatility and charisma of its performer. From tender ballads to hysterical husband-hunting laments, from wry comments on trendy marriages to ecstatic shouting-from-the-rooftop celebration, “Starting Here, Starting Now” has an appealing freshness that has made it a perennial favorite throughout the world.
“The Book of Will,” by Lauren Gunderson, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 21-23, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 23-24, in the Gail Brower Huggins Performance Center in Odell Building.
Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like “Romeo and Juliet.” But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, “The Book of Will” finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know.
“’The Book of Will’ … unequivocally announces Gunderson as a playwright with whom to be reckoned. It is, quite frankly, one of the best plays I have ever seen. It will bring tears of both laughter and sorrow to all but the most jaded audience member’s eyes. It is, in a word, a triumph.” —Boulder (CO) Weekly.
“[Gunderson] has peopled the stage with lively, historically based characters. … She paints a vivid portrait of the times in language sometimes formal, sometimes poetic and often … contemporary. … She also gives a real feel for theater life and what it means to be an actor; you sense this is a work of both scholarship and love. …[‘The Book of Will’] serves as homage to those who sacrificed to make the first folio happen and to Shakespeare’s magnificent words.” —Westword (Denver, CO).
“The Mystery Plays,” by Roberton Aguirre-Sacasa, 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 4-6, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7, in the Annie Sellars Jordan Parlor Theatre in Main Building.
“The Mystery Plays” is two interrelated one-acts, loosely based on the tradition of the medieval mystery plays. In the first play, “The Filmmaker’s Mystery,” Joe Manning, a director of horror films, survives a terrible train wreck—only to be haunted by the ghost of Nathan West, one of the passengers who didn’t survive. As the police investigate Joe, he investigates Nathan, desperate to understand why he survived and what Nathan’s specter could possibly want. In the second play, “Ghost Children,” Joe’s attorney and friend, Abby Gilly, travels to a small town in rural Oregon to make peace with the man who brutally murdered her parents and younger sister 16 years earlier. The man—the murderer—is her older brother. Like the original medieval mystery plays, “The Mystery Plays” wrestles with the most profound of human ideas: the mysteries of death, the afterlife, religion, faith, and forgiveness—in a uniquely American way.
“… stylish, spine-tingling … Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa uses standard tricks of horror stories, borrowing liberally from masters like Kafka, Lovecraft, Hitchock. … But his mastery of the genre is his own … irresistible.” —New York Times.
“Undaunted by the special-effects limitations of theatre, playwright and Marvel comic-book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa maps out some creepy twilight zones in ‘The Mystery Plays,’ an engaging, related pair of one- acts. … The theatre may rarely deliver shocks equivalent to, say, ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ but Aguirre-Sacasa’s work is fine compensation.” —Time Out New York.
“… there is much to admire in this meeting of Lovecraft’s tales from the dark side and Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood.’” In Cold Blood.” —Hartford Courant.
“… the first of the two stories, ‘The Filmmaker’s Mystery,’ is … a dandy narrative, full of offbeat characters, I-see-dead-people creepiness and a twist or two.” —Variety.
“Listen! Tonin’ Too!,” concept, direction, and choreography by Wm. Perry Morgan, Ashley Hyers, and Robert Brewer. 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, April 26-27, and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28, in the Gail Brower Huggins Performance Center in Odell Building.
Continuing with the “Tonin'” series, this year we celebrate and feature the music and artistry of The Doobie Brothers. Professors Morgan and Hyers, once again with the assistance of Dr. Brewer, have created the next chapter in the series “Drama through Movement; Drama through Dance.” “Listen! Tonin’ Too!” investigates life, the search for peace and justice, safety, and the necessity of sanctuary.
