Excerpt from Dayton.com
As the 2021-2022 arts season gets underway, take a chance on Wright State University Theatre whose refreshing lineup includes a classic, rarely staged 1960s musical, a Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary drama and the best of ABBA.
The university’s return to in-person productions begins with Ken Ludwig’s hilarious, 1989 Tony Award-nominated farce “Lend Me a Tenor” (directed by Joe Deer) followed by ABBA-friendly “Mamma Mia!” (directed and choreographed by Greg Hellems), Annie Baker’s off-Broadway community center drama class comedy “Circle Mirror Transformation” (directed by Josh Aaron McCabe in the downstairs, black box Herbst Theatre), Lynn Nottage’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated blue-collar drama “Sweat” (directed by WSU alum Shaun Patrick Tubbs), Gilbert and Sullivan’s charming opera “The Gondoliers” (directed by Lee Merrill Hapner in the aforementioned Herbst Theatre), and Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Neil Simon’s legendary musical “Sweet Charity” (directed by Marya Spring Cordes).
“In what will be among our most varied and exciting seasons ever, we’re proud to present plays, dance and musical theatre that excites, challenges, celebrates and restores,” said Joe Deer, WSU artistic director, in a release.
In addition, the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures will present three dance concerts (fall student dance concert, emerging choreographers’ concert and spring dance concert) and two motion pictures events (Doc Night and Big Lens Film Festival).
“The elephant in the room is COVID,” Deer added. “At the moment, we’re planning to perform live and in-person, indoors. If things get worse, we’ll adjust and adapt, as always. And, we’ll keep our public informed as any of that changes. Meantime, we’re charging full steam ahead.”
For tickets or more information, visit wright.edu/tdmp or call the WSU Box Office at 937-775-2500 or 937-775-3789.
