UA’s Arizona Repertory Theatre presents OKLAHOMA!, music by Richard Rodgers, book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on the play, Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, directed by Danny Gurwin.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains, in many ways, their most innovative, having set the standards and established the rules of musical theatre still being followed today.  Set in a Western Indian territory just after the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love’s journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road. That they will succeed in making a new life together, we have no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand new state provides the ultimate climax to the triumphant OKLAHOMA! Rodgers and Hammerstein’s timeless music celebrates America’s vigorous pioneering spirit with athletic dance numbers and boot-stomping energy. The musical contains such classic show tunes as Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, People Will Say We’re in Love and the title song, Oklahoma!

Dates & Times:

Previews:  Mar 9 at 1:30pm, Mar 11 at 7:30pm

Evenings:  Mar 12-15, Mar 27-29, Apr 4-5 at 7:30pm

Matinees:  Mar 15, Mar 29-30, Apr 6 at 1:30pm

Place: Marroney Theatre on the UA campus located near the SE corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.

Cost/Admission: Regular $31, Senior/UA Employee/Military $29, Student $21, Preview $20.

Ticket Information: UA Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or theatre.arizona.edu or tickets.arizona.edu

Parking:  Park Avenue Garage, located on Park Avenue just north of Speedway Blvd.  Pre-paid parking is available for weekday evening performances. Saturday and Sunday there is no charge to park.  If you have special needs for parking, please call UA Parking & Transportation Services at (520) 621-3550.

Production Sponsor: Jane Kivel with Campbell, Yost, Clare & Norell, P.C.

Widescreen Wednesday Screening & Discussion:

Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00pm – Center for Creative Photography

FREE ADMISSION to Widescreen Wednesdays!  First come, first served.  No ticket necessary.  Watch the film adaptation of Oklahoma! from 1955 with Shirley Jones & Gordon MacRae. Enjoy an engaging, brief discussion about the film & stage versions led by Dr. Mary Beth Haralovich from the Film & Television program just prior.  BONUS: See a student film short!

UA’s Arizona Repertory Theatre presents THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams, directed by Brent Gibbs, Featuring Maedell Dixon as Amanda

Using his own life, Tennessee Williams created this exquisite memory play.  Amanda Wingfield is a fading southern belle who is determined to hold her family together in any way she can.  Her son, Tom, struggles to escape both his present and his past, but his love for his wounded sister, Laura, keeps him bound…forever compelled to tell the story of the night she met her gentleman caller.  Filled with the heartbreaking beauty that marks Williams’ best work, The Glass Menagerie remains a compelling and timeless piece of theatre.

“Amanda is one of the great roles of the American theatre,” said Equity actress, Maedell Dixon, who plays Amanda Wingfield in this production. “It is an honor and a privilege to be asked to play her (and a bit daunting).  As an actor and a mother, I hope to bring Amanda’s courage and nobility to the role.”

Some people may wonder why Arizona Repertory Theatre hires an Equity Actor from time-to-time in its productions.  The answer?  It gives theatre students an invaluable opportunity to work with a card-carrying, Equity professional actor.  It also can enhance a production that demands a more mature role, and helps make a story that much more believable for an audience when the age of the actor actually matches more closely to the age of a character.

Dates & Times:

Previews:  Feb 9 at 1:30pm, Feb 11 at 7:30pm

Evenings:  Feb 12-15, Feb 20-22, Feb 28-Mar 1 at 7:30pm

Matinees:  Feb 16, Feb 22-23, Mar 2 at 1:30pm

Want a little extra culture with your theatre experience?  Attend the free, pre-show discussion on Sunday, February 9 at 12:45pm (see signs in Drama Building for room number).  OR…the free, post-show discussion with the actors on Sunday, February 16, immediately following the performance! 

Place: Tornabene Theatre on the UA campus located near the SE corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.

Cost/Admission: Regular $28, Senior/UA Employee/Military $26, Student $19, Preview $17.

Ticket Information: UA Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or theatre.arizona.edu or tickets.arizona.edu

Parking:  Park Avenue Garage, located on Park Avenue just north of Speedway Blvd.  Pre-paid parking is available for weekday evening performances. Saturday and Sunday there is no charge to park.  If you have special needs for parking, please call UA Parking & Transportation Services at (520) 621-3550. Production Sponsor: Lyn Tornabene

Widescreen Wednesday Screening & Discussion: Wednesday, Feb 19 at 7:00pm – Center for Creative Photography FREE ADMISSION to Widescreen Wednesdays!  First come, first served.  No ticket necessary.  Watch the film adaptation of The Glass Menagerie from 1973 with Katharine Hepburn, Joanna Miles, Michael Moriarty and Sam Waterston. Enjoy a fun discussion about the film and stage versions led by Theatre Professor Emeritus, Harold Dixon. BONUS: See a student film short by Alexis Preston and Rafael Gomez called, Top 10 Places You MUST See in Florida (run time approx 7 minutes). Get your culture on – FREE!

The Man Who Came to Dinner

By George Kaufman & Moss Hart
Directed by Hank Stratton

While on a lecture tour in Ohio during a 1930’s holiday season, critic and radio personality Sheridan Whiteside slips on the steps of the prominent Stanley family home, and a tumultuous and hilarious six weeks of convalescence follows at the Stanley residence, incorporating the perfect blend of high comedy and low farce, populated by extravagant but lovable characters.

Dates & Times:
Previews: Nov 10 at 1:30pm, Nov 12 at 7:30pm
Evenings: Nov 13-16, Nov 21-23, Dec 6-7 at 7:30pm
Matinees: Nov 17, Nov 23-24, Dec 8 at 1:30pm

Place: Marroney Theatre on the UA campus located near the SE corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.

Cost/Admission: Regular $28, Senior/UA Employee/Military $26, Student $19, Preview $17.

Ticket Information: UA Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or theatre.arizona.edu or tickets.arizona.edu

Parking: Park Avenue Garage, located on Park Avenue just north of Speedway Blvd. Pre-paid parking is available for weekday evening performances. Saturday and Sunday there is no charge to park. If you have special needs for parking, please call UA Parking & Transportation Services at (520) 621-3550.

Production Sponsor: Marriott University Park

Widescreen Wednesday Screening & Discussion:

Wednesday, Nov 20 at 7:00pm – Center for Creative Photography
FREE ADMISSION to Widescreen Wednesdays! First come, first served. No ticket necessary. Watch the film adaptation of The Man Who Came to Dinner from 1942 with Monty Woolley, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan and Jimmy Durante. Enjoy a fun discussion about the film & stage versions led by Professor Brad Schauer from the Film & Television program.

BONUS: See a student film short from last May’s I DREAM IN WIDESCREEN, called ALLERGIC TO LOVE (run time approx 8 minutes), by Film & TV alum, Shon Gale. See two, very funny films & get a little culture – FREE!

Arizona Repertory Theatre’s production of the comedy, The Man Who Came to Dinner, which officially opens on November 13 and runs through December 8, 2013, is being directed by a seasoned professional who has a colorful history with the show. Guest Director, Hank Stratton, acted alongside Nathan Lane, Jean Smart, Harriet Harris and others in the Broadway revival of the play in 2000. The production was aired on TV and released on DVD.

Because of his work in the Broadway revival, Stratton was able to meet some extraordinary people… Anne Kaufman, who is daughter to George Kaufman (co-author of The Man Who Came to Dinner), and Kitty Carlisle Hart, who was the wife of Moss Hart (other co-author of the play). Kitty was also a great lady of the theatre and New York society. She sang, acted, was a guest panelist on To Tell the Truth, and she served 20 years on the New York State Council on the Arts.

Stratton has been able to bring these experiences and rich history into his directing work with UA students who perform in the non-profit, theatrical training company for UA Theatre majors, called Arizona Repertory Theatre. Stratton has a long list of television credentials as well as regional and Off-Broadway stage performances under his belt. Television shows like The Closer, Frasier, Desperate Housewives, Hawaii Five-O, and NYPD Blue are just some of the shows on Stratton’s resume. He spent two years on the CBS drama, The Unit, and two seasons recurring on the NBC drama, American Dreams. He’s even worked under Oscar® winning directors, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall, in national tours of Cabaret, and played Werner Heisenberg in the Tony™ Award-winning production of Copenhagen (in which he played opposite Len Carious – the original Sweeney Todd and current co-star of the CBS drama, Blue Bloods).

An advocate for tolerance and anti-bullying, Stratton said he had the pleasure of directing The Laramie Project earlier this year for the University of Michigan. “It was a great success, and gave me an opportunity to work closely with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, including Judy Shepard herself,” said Stratton. “During this time, I also produced a benefit concert for the Shepard Foundation’s Erase Hate campaign, utilizing the university’s resources and the incredible talent of the musical theatre BFA department.” Stratton said that was also successful and all the proceeds went toward raising awareness of bullying, hate crimes, and to promote tolerance through the foundation’s school outreach program.

UA Arizona Repertory Theatre’s production of The Man Who Came to Dinner with Stratton’s touches can be seen in the Marroney Theatre on the NW side of campus in The University of Arizona’s Fine Arts Complex near Speedway Blvd./Park Ave. For tickets and show info: 520.621.1162 or theatre.arizona.edu. For Hank Stratton interview requests, please contact Lisa Pierce: 520.626.2686 or lisapierce@email.arizona.edu.

The Fantasticks

Music by Harvey Schmidt, Book & lyrics by Tom Jones
Directed by Danny Gurwin

Based on Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play, Les Romanesques, The Fantasticks, the world’s longest-running Tony Award-winning musical, is a captivating and simple romantic comedy about a boy named Matt, a girl named Luisa, two parents and a wall. The audience uses its imagination to follow the mischievously charming narrator, El Gallo, as he creates a world of moonlight and magic, and then pain and disillusionment, until the boy and girl find their way back to one other. The score, which includes Try to Remember, They Were You, and Soon It’s Gonna Rain, is as timeless as the story itself.

Dates & Times:
Previews: Oct 20 at 1:30pm, Oct 22 at 7:30pm
Evenings: Oct 23-26, Oct 31-Nov 2, Nov 8-9 at 7:30pm
Matinees: Oct 27, Nov 2-3, Nov 10 at 1:30pm

Place: Tornabene Theatre on the UA campus located near the SE corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.

Cost/Admission: Regular $31, Senior/UA Employee/Military $29, Student $21, Preview $20.

Ticket Information: UA Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or theatre.arizona.edu or tickets.arizona.edu

Parking: Park Avenue Garage, located on Park Avenue just north of Speedway Blvd. Pre-paid parking is available for weekday evening performances. Saturday and Sunday there is no charge to park. If you have special needs for parking, please call UA Parking & Transportation Services at (520) 621-3550.

Media Contact: Lisa Pierce, (520) 626-2686, lisapierce@email.arizona.edu

Production Sponsor: Gootter & Associates

Widescreen Wednesday Screening & Discussion:

Wednesday, Oct 30 at 7:00pm – Center for Creative Photography
FREE ADMISSION to Widescreen Wednesdays! First come, first served. No ticket necessary. Watch the film adaptation of The Fantasticks from the 1964 Hallmark Hall of Fame special with Ricardo Montalban, Bert Lahr, Stanley Holloway, Susan Watson & John Davidson – even the commercials! Enjoy an engaging discussion about the film & stage versions led by Dr. Erica Stein from the Film & Television program.

BONUS: See the winning student film short from last May’s I DREAM IN WIDESCREEN, called UNLOVABLE (run time approx 3 minutes), by Film & TV alum, Jackie Hutchinson!

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, Boeing Boeing is a hilarious French farce. Bernard, a Parisian architect, has devised a foolproof plan for keeping his love life exciting. He has three bedrooms and three different fiancées who all work for three different airlines. What could go wrong? Everything! Bernard and his best friend are left desperately seeking an emergency exit as all the fiancées come in for a landing at the same time. One of France’s most popular plays, this 1960’s romp is just the ticket to kick off our season.

If you’d like to learn more about how the show poster was created with UA student Alyssa Alger (not a Theatre student) as our model, contact Lisa Pierce. A.R.T. always creates its own posters – from concept to finished product.

Dates & Times: Previews: Sep 22 at 1:30pm, Sep 24 at 7:30pm Evenings: Sep 25-28, Oct 3-5, Oct 11-12 at 7:30pm Matinees: Sep 29, Oct 5-6, Oct 13 at 1:30pm

Place: Marroney Theatre on the UA campus located near the SE corner of Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard.

Cost/Admission: Regular $28, Senior/UA Employee/Military $26, Student $19, Preview $17.

Ticket Information: UA Fine Arts Box Office, (520) 621-1162 or theatre.arizona.edu or tftv.arizona.edu

Photo by Ed Flores

Parking: Park Avenue Garage, located on Park Avenue just north of Speedway Blvd. Pre-paid parking is available for weekday evening performances. Saturday and Sunday there is no charge to park. If you have special needs for parking, please call UA Parking & Transportation Services at (520) 621-3550.

Media Contact: Lisa Pierce, (520) 626-2686, lisapierce@email.arizona.edu Production Co-Sponsors: Keller Williams Southern Arizona Luxury Homes + NOVA Home Loans Presidential Team

Widescreen Wednesday Screening & Discussion: Wednesday, Oct 2 at 7:00pm – Center for Creative Photography

FREE ADMISSION to Widescreen Wednesdays! First come, first served. No ticket necessary. Watch the film adaptation of Boeing Boeing & enjoy an engaging discussion about the film & stage versions led by one of our own faculty members. BONUS: See one student film short!

I Dream in Widescreen: BFA Thesis Films from The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television, produced several, award-winning graduates in 2013. The FotoKem New Filmmaker Award, the grand prize of $5,000 in film services from Los Angeles-based postproduction facility, FotoKem, went to BFA 2013 Film & TV graduate, Jackie Hutchinson, for Unlovable, a short film she wrote, directed and describes as Sesame Street meets Trainspotting.

Presented by Production Designer and Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence for the American Film Institute Conservatory, Joe Garrity (Family Tree, Best in Show, Sunshine Cleaning, etc.), the Hanson Film Institute Award for Best Production Design went to BFA 2013 Film & TV graduates, Alex B. Preston, Production Designer; H. Shane Gunther, Art Director; and Alex Italics, Director, for their work on the stylistic, 1950’s short film, Sheltered Love. The award of $500 goes to support Sheltered Love’s film festival and promotion efforts.

The Entertainment Partners Award for Excellence in Producing went to Sheltered Love, directed and produced by Alex Italics and produced by Stephen Purcell, and also went to Grey State, directed by Brad Wong, produced by Victoria Tulk. Both producers received a copy of EP’s Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling software.

BFA 2012 Film/TV alum, Brody Anderson, received a special citation for his cinematography on Sheltered Love.

The jurors who chose the award-winning works among the 2013 thesis films from The University of Arizona’s graduating Film/TV class were: Claudette Godfrey, the Short Film Programmer for the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas; Brenda Lhormer, Director, Napa Valley Film Festival; and Kathleen McInnis, Film Curator and Director of Industry Programming for the Palm Springs ShortsFest.