K Professors Margo Bosker Light (German), Gail Griffin (English), and Mark Thompson (Religion) rehearse a scene from the Little Shop Around the Corner for a Festival Playhouse “Readers Theatre” production in Spring 1985.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nKalamazoo College lifts the curtain early for the 50th<\/sup> anniversary season of its celebrated Festival Playhouse theatre arts program. Although the anniversary takes place during the 2013-14 academic year, the celebration begins May 16-19 with the staging of Into the Woods<\/em>, the groundbreaking musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, produced in collaboration with the K Department of Music.
\n\u201cOur history is so rich and our celebration events so numerous, we had to start this spring in order to do it justice,\u201d said longtime Professor of Theatre Arts and Festival Playhouse Director Ed Menta<\/strong>, who will stage the show. \u201cAnd we are thrilled to start the celebration with Sondheim\u2019s masterpiece.\u201d
\nInto the Woods <\/em>will be performed in the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse on Thursday May 16 at 7:30 p.m., Friday May 17 and Saturday May 18 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday May 19 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15\/Adults, $10\/seniors and $5\/students.
\nProfessors of Music Tom Evans<\/strong> and James Turner<\/strong> will serve as musical and vocal directors, respectively.
\nThis Tony, Drama Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Award winning show \u201chelped change the \u2018American Musical,\u2019\u201d Evans said. \u201cSondheim shows are special.\u00a0They combine in the most masterful way,\u00a0music, lyrics, and plot.\u00a0Perhaps what I like most about his work is his ability\u00a0to create multilevel meanings simultaneously.\u201d
\nInto the Woods<\/em> features memorable songs such as \u201cGiants in the Sky,\u201d \u201cAgony,\u201d and \u201cChildren Will Listen\u201d sung by iconic characters such as Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella.
\n\u201cAnd it puts a contemporary twist on the timeworn fairy tale ending,\u201d Menta said, \u201cWhat happens the day after they all lived happily ever after?\u201d
\nKalamazoo College Professor of Theatre Arts Nelda K. Balch<\/strong> established the first season of Festival Playhouse\u2014with generous support from the Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation\u2014in 1963-64, with a schedule of groundbreaking modern dramas such as Max Frisch\u2019s The Firebugs<\/em>, Eugene O\u2019Neill\u2019s Long Day\u2019s Journey into Night<\/em>, and a revival of Balch\u2019s own 1958 production of Samuel Beckett\u2019s Waiting for Godot<\/em> (the first time a college in the United States had produced this landmark Absurdist play).
\nBeginning this spring and running through the 2013-14 season, the College will celebrate and renew the original goals and spirit of Festival Playhouse with events that include: the grand re-opening of the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse; the return of internationally known performance artist and K alumna Holly Hughes \u201977<\/strong>; \u201cAn Evening of Kalamazoo College Theatre Alumni Scenes;\u201d a season of three classics of Modern Drama, including Strindberg, Ibsen, and a restaging of a rarely produced early Absurdist comedy from the original Festival Playhouse season staged by professional director and K alumna Nora Hauk \u201904<\/strong>; a special \u201cTalkback\u201d series led by K theatre alumni; and much more.
\n\u201cFrom the beginning, Festival Playhouse sought to produce provocative and thoughtful theatre by combining the talents of K students, members of the greater Kalamazoo community, and professional artists,\u201d said Ed Menta.
\n\u201cThe 50th<\/sup> anniversary season will live up to that standard.\u201d
\nDates, locations, and more details about the 50th<\/sup> anniversary season of Festival Playhouse at Kalamazoo College can be found by visiting www.kzoo.edu\/theatre<\/a>.
\nKalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu<\/a>), founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, leadership development, and international and intercultural engagement. Kalamazoo College does more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kalamazoo College lifts the curtain early for the 50th anniversary season of its celebrated Festival Playhouse theatre arts program. Although the anniversary takes place during the 2013-14 academic year, the celebration begins May 16-19 with the staging of Into the Woods, the groundbreaking musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, produced in collaboration with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":147,"featured_media":2210,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[234,235,5],"tags":[31,39,61,58],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-2204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-institutional-announcements","category-news-releases","tag-alumni","tag-faculty","tag-music","tag-theatre"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
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aria-label=\"archive of category Events\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/events\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Events<\/a><a aria-label=\"archive of category Institutional Announcements\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/institutional-announcements\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Institutional Announcements<\/a><a aria-label=\"archive of category News Releases\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/news-releases\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News Releases<\/a>","tags_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/alumni\/\" rel=\"tag\">alumni<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/faculty\/\" rel=\"tag\">faculty<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/music\/\" rel=\"tag\">music<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/theatre\/\" rel=\"tag\">theatre<\/a>","social_share_info":"<a data-share=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-raises-curtain-on-50th-anniversary-of-festival-playhouse\/\" class=\"pl-facebook-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-raises-curtain-on-50th-anniversary-of-festival-playhouse\/\" class=\"pl-twiiter-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/kalamazoo-college-raises-curtain-on-50th-anniversary-of-festival-playhouse\/\" class=\"pl-linkedin-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>","wordExcerpt_info":"<p> <\/p>\n<div class=\"mceTemp\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_2210\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2210\" style=\"width: 234px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/04\/Little-Shop-Around-the-Corner-April-1985.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2210 size-medium\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/04\/Little-Shop-Around-the-Corner-April-1985-234x300.jpg\" alt=\"K Professors Margo Bosker Light (German), Gail Griffin (English) and Mark Thompson (Religion) \" width=\"234\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2210\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">K Professors Margo Bosker Light (German), Gail Griffin (English), and Mark Thompson (Religion) rehearse a scene from the Little Shop Around the Corner for a Festival Playhouse “Readers Theatre” production in Spring 1985.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kalamazoo College lifts the curtain early for the 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary season of its celebrated Festival Playhouse theatre arts program. Although the anniversary takes place during the 2013-14 academic year, the celebration begins May 16-19 with the staging of <em>Into the Woods<\/em>, the groundbreaking musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, produced in collaboration with the K Department of Music.<br \/>\n\u201cOur history is so rich and our celebration events so numerous, we had to start this spring in order to do it justice,\u201d said longtime Professor of Theatre Arts and Festival Playhouse Director <strong>Ed Menta<\/strong>, who will stage the show. \u201cAnd we are thrilled to start the celebration with Sondheim\u2019s masterpiece.\u201d<br \/>\n<em>Into the Woods <\/em>will be performed in the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse on Thursday May 16 at 7:30 p.m., Friday May 17 and Saturday May 18 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday May 19 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15\/Adults, $10\/seniors and $5\/students.<br \/>\nProfessors of Music <strong>Tom Evans<\/strong> and <strong>James Turner<\/strong> will serve as musical and vocal directors, respectively.<br \/>\nThis Tony, Drama Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Award winning show \u201chelped change the \u2018American Musical,\u2019\u201d Evans said. \u201cSondheim shows are special.\u00a0They combine in the most masterful way,\u00a0music, lyrics, and plot.\u00a0Perhaps what I like most about his work is his ability\u00a0to create multilevel meanings simultaneously.\u201d<br \/>\n<em>Into the Woods<\/em> features memorable songs such as \u201cGiants in the Sky,\u201d \u201cAgony,\u201d and \u201cChildren Will Listen\u201d sung by iconic characters such as Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella.<br \/>\n\u201cAnd it puts a contemporary twist on the timeworn fairy tale ending,\u201d Menta said, \u201cWhat happens the day after they all lived happily ever after?\u201d<br \/>\nKalamazoo College Professor of Theatre Arts <strong>Nelda K. Balch<\/strong> established the first season of Festival Playhouse\u2014with generous support from the Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation\u2014in 1963-64, with a schedule of groundbreaking modern dramas such as Max Frisch\u2019s <em>The Firebugs<\/em>, Eugene O\u2019Neill\u2019s <em>Long Day\u2019s Journey into Night<\/em>, and a revival of Balch\u2019s own 1958 production of Samuel Beckett\u2019s <em>Waiting for Godot<\/em> (the first time a college in the United States had produced this landmark Absurdist play).<br \/>\nBeginning this spring and running through the 2013-14 season, the College will celebrate and renew the original goals and spirit of Festival Playhouse with events that include: the grand re-opening of the Nelda K. Balch Playhouse; the return of internationally known performance artist and K alumna <strong>Holly Hughes \u201977<\/strong>; \u201cAn Evening of Kalamazoo College Theatre Alumni Scenes;\u201d a season of three classics of Modern Drama, including Strindberg, Ibsen, and a restaging of a rarely produced early Absurdist comedy from the original Festival Playhouse season staged by professional director and K alumna<strong> Nora Hauk \u201904<\/strong>; a special \u201cTalkback\u201d series led by K theatre alumni; and much more.<br \/>\n\u201cFrom the beginning, Festival Playhouse sought to produce provocative and thoughtful theatre by combining the talents of K students, members of the greater Kalamazoo community, and professional artists,\u201d said Ed Menta.<br \/>\n\u201cThe 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary season will live up to that standard.\u201d<br \/>\nDates, locations, and more details about the 50<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary season of Festival Playhouse at Kalamazoo College can be found by visiting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/theatre\">www.kzoo.edu\/theatre<\/a>.<br \/>\nKalamazoo College (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/\">www.kzoo.edu<\/a>), founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, experiential learning, leadership development, and international and intercultural engagement. Kalamazoo College does more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/147"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2204"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18126,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2204\/revisions\/18126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2204"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=2204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"K](\"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2013\/04\/Little-Shop-Around-the-Corner-April-1985.jpg\")
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