Welcome to the Theatre UNI blog

Welcome to the Theatre UNI blog. I have been thinking about starting this blog for some time, to share with those interested the daily business of producing theatre at the University of Northern Iowa. As the Director of Marketing and Production Manager for Theatre UNI, I am constantly searching for ways to stay in touch with the various constituents of the organization, from current students to potential students to audience members and friends of the theatre. I hope that this proves a valuable and productive tool.

I intend to post at least three times a week, including information regarding the progression of rehearsals, snippets of production meetings, announcements of special events and updates on a variety of activities involving Theatre UNI faculty, staff and students. Please feel free to share comments and questions.

I'll begin with an introduction to the Theatre UNI 2007/08 season at the Strayer-Wood. Warning: The following is taken directly from the season media release so please excuse the "ad copy" language.

"In celebration of the Strayer-Wood Theatre’s 30th anniversary, Theatre UNI in Cedar Falls has planned a special season of productions, including contemporary and classic comedy, staples of American theatre, and several alumni guest artists. “This year we’re doing some different things,” says Eric Lange, Theatre UNI Artistic Director and Head of the UNI Department of Theatre. “This will offer the community some new and unique opportunities, and bring some great professional artists to the campus. Our whole department is very excited!”

During the fall semester, Theatre UNI will produce two comedies in rotating repertory, Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.

Opening October 18th for nine performances in the Bertha Martin Theatre, Cloud 9 is a critically acclaimed work that explores hypocrisy, colonial and sexual repression and societal stereotypes in Victorian Africa and late 20th century London. Cynthia Goatley will direct the cast of seven actors playing multiple roles. Cloud 9 does contain strong language and adult subject matter. A week later, on October 25, Shakespeare’s comedy of young love, fantasy, and pranksters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, opens on the Strayer-Wood stage. Directed by Jay Edelnant, the story will be set on May 7th and 8th, 1945, in Athens, Greece. Midsummer will run for eight performances through November 7, including two weekday matinees for school groups.

In early February, Theatre UNI will produce the first of two works by Arthur Miller. In collaboration with the UNI School of Music, Theatre UNI will present The Crucible, an opera based on Miller’s play of the same name. Set in 1692 Massachusetts, The Crucible recounts the tragic stories of the Salem witch trials. Music for this Pulitzer Prize winning opera was composed by Robert Ward, with lyrics by Bernard Stambler. Sandra Walden will provide stage direction and Rebecca Burkhardt, music direction. Performance dates are February 7th, 9th, 15th, and 17th on the Strayer-Wood stage.

The season will conclude in April 2008 with a special celebratory production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman on the Strayer-Wood stage. This production will feature the work of several UNI theatre alumni, including director Larry Paulsen, scenic designer Steve Gilliam, lighting designer Richard Devin, and actors, Matt Mullin, Michael Mullin, and Mary Booty-Tharp. A series of alumni reunion events are being planned for the opening weekend of the show. Opening April 10th for seven public performances and two school matinees, the production and related educational events are supported by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council.

In addition to the main stage productions, the Theatre UNI 2007/08 season will also feature a workshop production of a play yet to be announced, directed by Richard Glockner in late January and a season long exhibit of theatrical work by our alumni and current faculty.

Season tickets, on sale at the Strayer-Wood Theatre box office through November 3, are $49.00. Tickets for individual productions go on sale September 4th. For more information, call the Strayer-Wood Theatre box office at 319-27-6381 or visit http://www.theatreuni.com/. Single tickets are $12.00 for the plays for adults and $15.00 for the opera; $10.00 for college students for plays and $12.00 for the opera; and $8.00 for youth for the plays and $10.00 for the opera."

Now that the introduction is over....

We are currently in rehearsals for Cloud 9 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Cast and crew lists can be found at: http://www.theatreuni.com/. Both the scenery and costumes are in the studios and lighting and sound designs are in the works. Marketing efforts have begun in earnest. Posters for on-campus distribution arrived from the printer and will be sent to the dorms tomorrow.

Wednesday mornings this semester begin with a production meeting for Cloud 9. Business included discussion of the schedule of Tech Adjust, the Saturday before first dress when last minute production elements are addressed. The day will include a four hour block in the morning for lighting and two hours in the afternoon to rehearse the many quick changes of costumes that occur during the scenes, in hopes that the first dress will go a little more smoothly. Discussion moved on to the design of the wedding cake that appears in Act 1 and then to the method by which the doll is going to be stabbed, which has implications in the engineering of the prop.

This afternoon a company list for both shows was compiled in preparation for Rep Prep Week, a week during which the Department of Theatre is cancelling most classes to allow students to concentrate on the productions. We'll all be interested to see if the idea results in the desired outcomes.