Campus Life

Theatre season packs punch

Challenging, engrossing and engaging describe the 2010/2011 University of Lethbridge Faculty of Fine Arts theatre season.

From classical to controversial, the plays strike a balance between academic challenges and audience appeal.

The first show of the season, Uncommon Women and Others by Wendy Wasserstein, is directed by Dr. Shelley Scott and appears in the University Theatre Oct. 19 to 23. Set in 1978, five women reunite in a restaurant to evaluate where their lives have led them. The action flashes back six years to when they met as students at a prestigious, all-female college, formed friendships and made the choices that shaped their destinies.

Director Jay Whitehead then tackles the fascinating and emotionally challenging play, Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (translated by Jonathan Franzen), which runs Nov. 24 to 28. Teenagers Melchior, Moritz, Wendla and their young friends are experiencing sexual awakenings and are increasingly curious about their bodies, each other, masturbation and more. Their teachers and parents, respectable adults, fight to keep these young people on the straight and narrow, often with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results.

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov is directed by Richard Epp, and appears in the David Spinks Theatre from Feb. 15 to 19. Konstantin loves his mother, but he's jealous of her fame as an actress and depressed about his lack of success as a playwright. He also despises the celebrated young writer who is living with his mother and seems to have captured the attention of the girl he adores. On a Russian country estate, passions abound and idealism is challenged by triviality in this absorbing play from the master of comic realism.

The season ends with William Shakespeare's Richard III. Widely regarded as Shakespeare's most important play, this eternal classic is directed by Doug MacArthur and appears on stage Mar. 22 to 26. On a road paved with blood, treachery and seduction, Richard's tumultuous attempt to claim the throne of England for his own is fraught with lies, deception and murder.

To experience each of these unforgettable productions, season ticket purchases include all four productions for the price of three. Individual tickets are priced at $15 for regular admission and $10 for seniors/students. Season Tickets are $45 regular and $30 for seniors/students.

All tickets are available at the U of L Box office or by calling 403-329-2616. Closed for the summer, the U of L Box Office reopens on Sept. 13. Season tickets are on sale until opening night of the first production.