David KiplerSpring is in the air. Everywhere you look around campus are signs of warm weather, flowers…and theater. The theater is back in full force after spring break with a line-up of attractions stretching from now until the end of the school year. With subjects ranging from “Alice in Wonderland” to dance culture, the Performing Arts Department at Washington University is filling this spring with any type of performance an avid theater fan could wish for.
365 Plays/365 Days
Today’s shows:
| 11:15 a.m.: | “The 1st Constant (Remember Who You Are)” In front of Women’s Building |
| 11:30 a.m.: | “The 3rd Constant (Inaction in Action)” Bowles Plaza |
| 12:30 p.m.: | “Look” Bowles Plaza |
| 12:45 p.m.: | “Look” Near George Washington statue |
| 1 p.m.: | “Look” In front of Women’s Building |
In 2002, Susan Lori Parks started writing 365 different plays, all to be performed one a day, and therefore, all year. A group of students from Washington University’s theater department takes their shot this week performing one play a day through Sunday. Our school is part of a nation-wide program consisting of many different groups playing off the different plays. The University’s repertoire consists of “Look,” April 4; “Stitches,” April 5; “6’4,” April 6; “Father comes Home From the Wars Part 4,” April 7; and “Father Comes Home From The Wars Part 5,” April 8. In addition to the new plays, every day comes with a performance of, “The 1st Constant (Remember Who You Are),” “The 2nd Constant (Action in Inaction)” and “The 3rd Constant (Inaction in Action).”
If you missed these plays, shown throughout campus, or would rather see them all at one time, two full performances of all ten plays take place on Thursday at 4:20 p.m. in the Women’s Building and at 8 p.m. in the Village House Theater. A full list of places and times is available on the web at www.padarts.wustl.edu. This is a great chance to see some great plays for free.
House of Desires
Showtimes: April 13-14, 20-21, 8 p.m.; April 15, 22, 2 p.m.
Showing at: Edison Theatre
Tickets: $9 for Wash. U. students, $15 for non-students; call (314) 935-6543 for more information
Anyone up for Baroque-style theater? Written by Sor Juana In‚s de la Cruz, a contemporary of Shakespeare, this play makes a comedy out of machismo, identity and the roles of a man and a woman. Everyone loves a story about confusion and lost love, right? Personally, I can’t wait to see a proto-feminist nun’s take on it all. A satire, the play focuses on one man loved by two women and also features men dressed as women, women dressed as men, and all sorts of lovely confusion. Written in the Golden Age of Spanish comedy, de la Cruz was obviously ahead of her time.
A full length play, the Performing Arts Department stages this classic love quadrangle April 13-22 at the Edison Theatre. Actors Lee Osorio, Kaylin Boosalis, Elizabeth Neukirch and Chris Hartman star as the confused quartet. Tickets are $9 for any Washington University student interested in viewing the spectacle. Non-student tickets are $15.
On the professional side of things…
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
Showtimes: April 27-28, 8 p.m.; April 29, 2 p.m.
Showing at: Edison Theatre
Tickets: Call (314) 935-6543 for more information
The St. Louis Dance Company teams up with the Edison Theatre to present the “Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.” A professional, classically trained company, this group’s repertoire goes outside the norm and even considered “eclectic.” If there are people dancing in tights, it’s bound to be a great time.
Chicago
Showtimes: April 13-14, 8 p.m.; April 14-15, 2 p.m.
Showing at: The Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103
Tickets: $64.00 – $23.65, see www.fabulousfox.com for more information
Admit it, we’ve all seen the movie. It’s only right that we go and see the Broadway musical that inspired Richard Gere to put on tap shoes on the stage where it belongs. Featuring such wonderful songs as “Roxie” and “All that Jazz,” the classic musical is just as much fun as it ever was. Running at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, tickets can be pricy, ranging from $23.65 to $64.00, but keep your eyes open for discount tickets. The musical is only around for one weekend, April 13-15, so tickets may be a hot commodity.