Theatre Season Announced for 2015-16

Earlier this month the Plymouth State University Theatre Department announced it's 2015-16 season. “I think it’s going to be a really exciting, diverse season next year,” said Paul Mroczka, Director of Theatre at PSU. Mroczka, Elizabeth Daily, Matt Kizer, and Kathleen Arecchi worked together to decide on the season. They took into account how to best serve the students, including the performers, stage managers, and student designers. Next they looked at how the rest of the student body would receive the plays, and finally they looked at how the plays would be received by the outside community.

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They did take into account box office sales. With the smaller Studio Theatre, box office sales are less of an issue; usually all of the shows sell out. “With the Hannaway,” said Mroczka, “if you can help it, not to put a show in there where you’re going to get smaller audiences.” It is also important that directors are excited about the shows they are going to direct.

The season went through a few revisions before it was released. The first half changed completely. The department was considering repeating the Playwright Showcase next year, however they realized many of the student directors were graduating. “That’s why we decided to do Silvia in Studio Theatre,” said Mroczka. The Wedding Singer was also a last minute addition. “There were other musicals similar to Wedding Singer that were on the radar,” said Mrocza, but they were not chosen due to technical and vocal challenges.

Some things to look forward next year include the sword fighting in Romeo and Juliet where, hopefully, an alum will come in to work the fight choreography. “We need a professional, and it’s great to bring in an alum,” said Mroczka. Another exciting event is the sketch comedy show We Think It’s Funny, which will be created by teams of student writers during the second semester. It will be the first sketch comedy show that the theater department has done. “That will be a lot of fun, and kind of a neat skill for students to develop,” said Mroczka. Auditions for the fall semester shows will be held at the end of April.

PSU Theatre Season 2015-16:

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney, a comedy about a dog and the couple who adopts her.
(Early October, Studio Theatre, Directed by Paul Mroczka)

The Wedding Singer with Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin and Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, a romantic comedy based on the 1998 film.
(Mid October, Hanaway Theatre, Directed by John Briggs, Musical Direction by Emily Jaworski)

The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter, a post-modern play that is dark, funny, and disturbing.
(Mid-November, Studio Theatre, Directed by  Elizabeth Daily)

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, a classic tale of romance written by the Bard.
(March, Hanaway Theatre, Directed by Sharon Paquette)

A Man of No Importance with Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Book by Terrence McNally, based on the 1994 film about an amateur theater group in Dublin.
(Early April, Studio Theatre, Directed by Fran Page and Musical Direction by Kathleen Arecchi)
  
We Think It’s Funny written by PSU Students, two evenings of sketch comedy written by PSU students.
(Late April, Studio Theatre, Directed by Paul Mroczka)