ksc THEATRE AND DANCE PERFORMANCES

The Premiere Series
directed by Daniel PattersonPlay #1/ Thursday & Friday, October 3 & 4
Play #2 / Wednesday & Thursday, October 9 & 10
Play #3 / Wednesday & Thursday, October 16 & 17
Play #4 if selected / Wednesday & Thursday, October 23 & 24
All at 7:30 p.m. • Wright Theatre
The Premiere Series, begun in 1989, is a new-play development program that is a part of the Theatre and Dance Department’s production series. The program is a competition among KSC students enrolled in the TAD Playwriting class taught by Professor Daniel Patterson. The unique feature of The Premiere Series is that it gives students a chance to experience the process of developing and producing original work. Students who pursue careers in theatre will eventually be asked to participate in workshops and showcases and even full productions of new work. It is the guiding philosophy of The Premiere Series that new playwrights are the future of the theatre.

Spring Awakening
directed by Ronald Spangler assisted by Timothy L'ecuyer, musical direction by Thomas MartinWednesday-Saturday, November 13-16, 7:30 p.m. • Main Theatre
Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening takes its inspiration from one of literature’s most controversial pre-expressionistic masterpieces - Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play of the same name - a work so daring in its depiction of teenage sexual repression and self-discovery, that it was banned from the stage and not performed in its complete form in English for nearly 100 years. The show explores the dangers of a society that won't allow its youth to honestly acknowledge and address their sexuality, which scars their lives in shocking but sadly true-to-life ways. The story, dialogue and costumes suggest the 19th Century, but they are uniquely and perfectly wed to a beautiful alternative pop/rock music score. This show will shock, amaze and move you. Spring Awakening contains mature subject matter and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

Choreography Showcase
Thursday & Friday, December 5 & 6, 7 p.m. • Mabel Brown Room, Student Center
Choreography Showcase is the annual Theatre and Dance Department fall dance concert - a fun and inspiring way to conclude the semester. This concert premieres original modern dance works choreographed by dance students and performed by dancers from across the KSC campus. This concert of premieres has become a much anticipated fall tradition, and this year the Choreography Showcase will be a festival of dance: two nights, two separate concerts – double the rich dance experience. Free to the public.

How I Learned to Drive
directed by PeggyRae JohnsonTuesday-Saturday, February 25-March 1, 7:30 p.m. & 2 p.m. March 1 • Wright Theatre
In 1998, How I Learned to Drive won every major award available to drama, including the Pulitzer Prize. Focusing on the adult narrator’s memories of sexual molestation, the play resists easy labels and simple stereotypes about either the molester or the victim. With humor and pathos, the playwright challenges us to withhold our judgment and see the emotional and psychological experience from a complex perspective. The play uses a non-linear, stylized metaphor of driving lessons to lead us to an unexpected conclusion that provokes audiences’ thoughtful responses.

An Evening of Dance
directed by Marcia MurdockWednesday-Saturday, April 23-26, 7:30 p.m. • Main Theatre
This concert dance celebration of choreography and performance concludes the Theatre and Dance Production Season. A spring tradition that began 39 years ago, this showcase of original works by students, faculty, and guest artists consistently communicates and inspires through a breadth of styles in contemporary modern dance. An Evening of Dance 2014 will include a premiere by New York choreographer and 2013-14 Redfern Choreographer-in Residence, Rebecca Stenn, two faculty premieres, and performances by the talented and always engaging Keene State College dancers.