Notre Dame Announces Upcoming Shows
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame’s Department of Film, Television and Theatre announces four productions for its 2015/16 theatre season. As the season is tied directly to FTT’s academic program, the department strives for a diversity of period, form, and content and seeks to provide a broad range of artistic opportunities for both FTT majors and the general student population.
The season will open with ND Theatre Now, a special event in the mainstage season which annually features a production realized entirely by student artists.
This year, FTT presents “Wildflower” by Lila Rose Kaplan, directed by FTT senior Anthony Murphy, who previously directed “Out of Orbit” for ND Theatre Now and appeared as the emcee in FTT’s production of “Cabaret.” A contemporary coming-of–age story of a teenage botany enthusiast, “Wildflower” asks: when does something beautiful become dangerous? What are the consequences of desire? “Wilflower” will show Oct. 1-11.
Later in the fall, FTT will produce Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” directed by returning guest artist Nathan Halvorson, who previously helmed FTT’s production of Cabaret. Based on the B-movie by Roger Corman, this comic-horror musical (best known for its alien carnivorous plant bent on world domination) explores a longing to escape a depressing and suffocating urban environment — to find “Somewhere That’s Green.” “Little Shop of Horrors” will show Nov. 18-22.
The spring semester kicks off with “The Bear” and “Afterplay,” a pair of comic one-acts based on the plays of Anton Chekhov by distinguished Irish playwright Brian Friel. “The Bear” is inspired by Chekhov’s one act of the same title; “Afterplay” brings together characters from two different Chekhov plays – Sonya Serebriakova from Uncle Vanya and Andrey Prozorov from “Three Sisters.” The production is part of a campus-wide celebration of Irish history and culture, led by Notre Dame’s Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, that coincides with the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The production will be directed by FTT faculty member Carys Kresny. “The Bear” and “Afterplay” will show Feb. 18-28.
Rounding out the season is Jon Jory’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel “Pride and Prejudice,” directed by FTT professor Anton Juan. The quintessential romantic comedy, Jory’s streamlined script draws heavily from Austen’s original language and focuses primarily on the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. “Pride and Prejudice” will show April 13-17.
With major plot points of the two fall shows centering around plants, and both spring shows featuring estates with fields or gardens, Director of Theatre Kevin Dreyer notes, “I wish I could say we went into this season planning for an environmentally conscious season, but we were just looking for good plays.”