Name Your Favorite '11-'12 EMU Theatre Moment!

Well it's been quite a journey since August, wouldn't you say? It all started at Fajita Fest when we worked the mobs of freshman, trying to get them pumped about EMU Theatre!

We were there for auditions and bumped into some typical theatre types...

The Theatre Clique

The Suck Up

 The Over-Enthused Freshman

After the cast list was posted, our students immediately got to work on Imaginary Invalid. Making 16th Century Theatre accessible to all audiences is not an easy task, friends, and takes a lot of practice.

But the hard work paid off and Invalid was a success! Many new faces were introduced to the program and the designers sure had a lot of fun with their wacky concepts.

Drama Day was a rip roarin' good time when high schools from all over Michigan came to take theatre workshop classes and watch Imaginary Invalid. Check out the video to see how Drama Day changes lives...

Then it was onto Go, Dog Go! which brought audiences in from out-of-state! Fans of this children's classic couldn't resist the opportunity to see it live at EMU Theatre!

We were able to creatively address the issue of sexual harassment with a double feature of Oleanna and How I Learned to Drive with our Lab Theatre Series. Student directed and produced, these performances led to many honest discussions about a "taboo" issue.

PHEW! We made it to Winter break! Most of us spent our time engulfing holiday treats and others prepared for our upcoming repertory series (while guzzling holiday treats). Dead Man's Cell Phone and No Child... played in rep as commentary on contemporary issues such as technology and public education.

This spun us right into our annual Student Written and Directed One Act Festival. We had quite an array of styles and topics covered in one evening for one low price!

Most recently, we successfully revived an American Musical Theatre Classic EMU Theatre style! Guys and Dolls opened April 13 and left audiences with a pep in their step and songs in their head.

And in the meantime...we created a webseries! Inside the EMU Actor's Studio interviews actors, designers, and directors about the upcoming shows. Check out some of our favorites!

 

Now, don't be sad. You think we're just going to disappear in the Summer? Well, we're not! Broadway's longest running comedy, The 39 Steps by Alfred Hitchcock is coming to EMU Theatre this June. Good luck with the rest of your finals...AH HEM!...We mean...Break legs on your finals. AND CONGRATS TO OUR GRADUATES!  Kylie, SVA, Sarah Leahy, Millhouse, Emily Tipton, Clarkso, Craig, and Betty!

Stay connected over the summer!

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REPresenting at EMU Theatre

When you think of the month of February, what comes to mind? Chocolates? Crummy Weather? Heartache? For us at EMU Theatre, we think of Repertory Theatre!

Next Friday (Feb. 3) will kick off our 3-week run of contemporary theatre. Productions include Dead Man's Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl and No Child... by Nilaja Sun. What exactly is repertory theatre? Usually it is identified as a series of productions performed around the same time that share a similar theme. In this case, the theme is social commentary.

Dead Man's Cell Phone is a dark romantic comedy by top contemporary playwright, Sarah Ruhl. The story explores the intrinsic dilemmas imposed on our society by cell phones.

"Sometimes I like to disapear. But it's like, when everyone has their phone on, no one is there. It's like we're all disappearing the more we're there..."

Check out our video or read another blog to get more info on Dead Man's Cell Phone (Feb 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 16)!

No Child... by Nilaja Sun is originally a one-woman-show. Our production features several EMU Theatre students playing multiple characters! This story follows one determined teacher as she desperately works to change the lives of her students through the arts.

"...And the show did go on. A show that sparked a mini-revolution in the hearts of everyone in that auditorium. Sure, some crucial lines were fumbled, and some entrances missed and three cell phones went off in the audience. But, my God, if those kids weren't a success."

No Child... opens the week after Dead Man's Cell Phone. This story is sure to inspire students, teachers, and anyone who's had the odds stacked against them. At a time when certain elements of the American education system are coming into question - No Child... is an essential theatre experience to be shared. Stay tuned for more info about this production!

So what are you waiting for? Tickets are going fast! Get yours HERE!

"Dead Man's Cell Phone" by Sarah Ruhl at EMU Theatre

 

Have you ever asked yourself the morbid yet intriguing question: What will happen to my cell phone after I die? EMU Theatre's production of  Dead Man's Cell Phone is sure to entertain your imagination and leave you chewing on thoughts about our technological mortality. (Performance dates: Feb. 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, & 16.)

 

One of the top contemporary playwrights, Sarah Ruhl, explores the absurdly profound story of a dead man's cell phone.

Picture this...A woman, Jean, is sitting in a cafe. There is a man sitting across from her and his cell phone begins to ring...

"Excuse me, are you going to get that?"

...(he doesn't respond.)

"Would you mind answering your phone?"

...(still no response.)

As Jean approaches the man, it is revealed he is dead! But every time his phone rings, she answers it! And then she goes to the funeral! And meets his mistress! And his widow! And his mother! 

You may read this and think, "Why are they giving it all away?"

Trust us. That is just the beginning.

Jean sweeps herself into a dark romantic comedy as she helps the memory of the dead man live on in the minds and hearts of his loved ones. Dead Man's Cell Phone is a fast-moving story filled with romance, humor, tragedy, absurdism, and the reality of the secrets we may leave behind in our hand held devices.

Pretty cool, huh? So let's tell you what is so special about EMU Theatre's production of this exciting contemporary masterpiece!

First of all, Director Pirooz Aghssa decided to "double-cast" the role of the dead man, Gordon, and the dead man's brother, Dwight. Which means the SAME ACTOR will play the roles of Gordon and Dwight.  Theatre Arts Major, Eric Hohnke (pictured above), is just the man for the job! With an intense focus on the vocal and physical differences between Gordon and Dwight, Hohnke has been hard at work since he saw his name on the cast list. Both characters have distinct differences (even though Hohnke sometimes changes characters in a matter of minutes!)

Also, student designers are participating in major elements of the show. Emily Clarkson and Haley Cavanaugh are responsible for the lighting and costume designs for Dead Man's Cell Phone. 

Everyone's been working around the clock to share a piece of high-quality contemporary theatre with an array of audiences. Dead Man's Cell Phone is a story for everyone (and when we say everyone - we mean ages 14+ due to the "F Bombs"). Bring a date! Bring a friend! Bring your Grandma! Come explore disconnects in the digital age. But be careful. You may begin to wonder...Would I ever answer a dead man's cell phone?

For more info...

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PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS!

Dead Man's Cell Phone is running in rep with a production of No Child... Stay tuned for more info!!