Fall Production

Feiffer’s People

by Jules Feiffer
directed by Glen Gourley

October 22-25, 2003
Fine Arts Theatre
Hyman Fine Arts Center
Francis Marion University

THE STORY:

A unique conception by America’s renowned humorist, cartoonist and social satirist, Feiffer’s People offers a characteristically inventive and flexible kind of experimental theatre. Made up of brief sketches, monologues and playlets which are wildly funny yet bitingly acerbic in the sharp observations that they provide on the state of the union and the modern world in general.

Feiffer’s People uses the stage as a forum for projecting a wry and perceptive world-view, encyclopedic in its awareness of human frailty but always softened by the gentle balm of laughter. It provides the essential ingredients for a revue-type program of richly comic dimension, and magically suggests a variety of means for bringing this to life theatrically.

The production will be under the direction of Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Glen Gourley, with set and lighting design by Associate Professor of Theatre Arts David Granath and costume design by Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Abigail Kiker.

Ensemble:
Jessica Allison
Joey Anderson
Andrew Cogswell
Carol Graziani
Victoria Kingsbury
Susan Oliver
Damien Ruffner
Merit Sander
David Sistare
Desman Stackhouse
Sarah Thorowgood
Vincent Triana

Dancer: Melissa Bjorgen

Assistant Director: Brad Sponic
Assistant to the director: Wen Housend

Winter Production

for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf

by Ntozake Shange
directed by D. Keith Best

February 18-21, 2004
Fine Arts Theatre
Hyman Fine Arts Center
Francis Marion University

for colored girls… was originally performed in New York City, off-Broadway, in 1976. The run was very successful and the play has been very popular over the years.

The cast is made up of seven women, the lady in brown and the ladies in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Cast in these roles are Consuella Ferguson, Crystal Patrick, Dana Bufford, Tiffany Holmes, Jocqlene Maria Wright, Shakita Walker and Lakesia Monique Reed.

Ntozake Shange’s script is actually a performance piece of poetry. The script contains beautiful language but doesn’t hesitate to challenge it’s audience with explicit language, descriptions, and situations: but no single word is carelessly placed. Several larger poems, each delivered by one of the ladies, are put together with smaller snippets of poetry, music, and dance performed by the whole group. The expression of these personalities and their experiences as told through Ms. Shange’s poetry creates a beautiful theatrical piece celebrating the African-American woman in America.

i cdnt have people
lookin at me
pregnant
i cdnt have my friends see this
dyin danglin tween my legs
& I didnt say a thing
not a sigh
or a fast scream
to get those eyes offa me
get those steel rods out of me
this hurts

–lady in blue

there waznt nothin wrong with him/ there waznt nothin wrong
with him/ he kep tellin crystal/
any niggah wanna kill vietnamese children more n stay home
& raise his own is sicker than a rabid dog/
that’s how their thing had been goin since he got back/

–lady in red

DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
As a director, my goal is to allow the actors to bring themselves into these characters-to make them breathe with their own experience–and to showcase these performances and the music of this language in a manner that captivates every member of the audience. Though about the black woman’s experience, this is a play for everyone. All people can appreciate the attributes of grace, strength, courage, wisdom, and spirit exemplified in these characters. They reflect the best of what humanity has to offer.

Spring Production

The Compleat Wks of Wllm Skspr (abridged)

by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield

April 14-17, 2004
Fine Arts Theatre
Hyman Fine Arts Center
Francis Marion University

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theatre – you were wrong. In one evening three Francis Marion University Theatre students will perform a feat never before attempted in the history of the University. They will perform the complete works of William Shakespeare in one evening of theatre.

Theatre Majors Brad Sponic, David Sistare, and Andrew Cogswell will attempt to cover all of Shakespeare’s plays in one sitting. This humorous (and some might think irreverent) covering of the Bard’s plays is an attempt as the script puts it: “to makes these musty old plays applicable to a present day audience.” Approaches to the plays include such applications as Titus Andronicus as a cooking show, and the complete histories as a football game.