Senior Matthew Varvir (left) is the director of "Now Then Again," the first production of the College’s fall theatre schedule.
The Austin College fall theatre season will include comedy, drama, and entertainment through improvisation.
Kirk Everist, associate professor of communication studies at the College, said that both of the fall’s full-length plays, Now Then Again and The Mound Builders, look at the power of the past. “In one, a love story emerges from the collision of destiny and random chance,” he said. “In another, three families try to salvage their identity and dignity from a past and future that threaten to flood their lives. Both shows reveal that thinking and feeling are not the separate things they are sometimes believed to be; audiences can look forward to experiencing directly how thought, passion, and discovery converge in an entertaining evening of theatre.”
The actors and directors invite members of the local community to attend an Austin College production this fall. “Join us in the theatre during our fall season for an exciting and engaging look at what Austin College is about, as well as an experience of what we do,” Everist said
All performances will be held in Ida Green Communication Center with specific theatre locations noted with each production description. Tickets will be sold at the door for $8 each. There is no charge for students, faculty, and staff with a valid Austin College ID.
The September production will be Now Then Again by Penny Penniston, directed by Austin College senior Matthew Varvir of Carrollton, Texas. Performances will be held in Beardsley Arena Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on September 23-25, plus a 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, September 25.
Now Then Again is a romantic comedy set in the improbable location of a physics lab. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune described the play as “smart, funny and thoroughly captivating” as a theoretical physicist attempts to attract the girl of his dreams. “Utilizing a structure that is heavily influenced by quantum mechanics, the plot follows the steadily growing relationship between this extremely unconfident scientist and the bold, beautiful intern who enters his life,” Varvir said. “But, nothing is for certain; after all, the greatest decisions are not those that change the future, but those that change the past. Penniston’s quirky characters and endearing story allow the audience to reevaluate their own values and provide a good basis for a discussion focusing on the interactions of science and art.”
As director, Varvir said the selection of this particular play is definitely by design. He is completing majors in both communication studies (theatre emphasis) and physics and plans to pursue a career in education, teaching physics.
Students will present Lanford Wilson’s The Mound Builders in Ida Green Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, October 21 and 22, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 23. Directed by Kathleen Campbell, professor of communication studies, the play focuses on an archaeological team investigating a Mississippian culture site in Southern Illinois. “The play raises questions about preservation versus development, and explores the tensions that come from competing desires—for fame, wealth, knowledge, and power,” Campbell said. “The aspirations of the Native Americans who inhabited the site hundreds of years before both contrast and parallel the desires of the 20th century characters and remind us of the need to pay attention to what can be learned from the past.”
Wilson’s naturalistic dialogue and careful character development have earned him accolades as an American Chekhov, Campbell said. “His subtlety is evident in The Mound Builders as the interactions of characters move the play toward its surprising but inevitable climax.” The Austin College production will feature set and lighting design by Liz Banks, visiting assistant professor of communication studies.
Scripted/Unscripted: An Evening of Theatre will complete the fall season with 7:30 performances on November 19 and 20 in Ida Green Theatre. Each year, students in the directing course choose one-act plays to stage. This year, long-form, Chicago-style improvisation will be added to the bill. The Austin College Improv Troupe, coached by Everist, will provide several sets of live theatrical improvisation to provide a complete evening of entertainment showcasing the spontaneous as well as the rehearsed. Each of the two performances of Scripted/Unscripted will be unique, featuring work that has not been seen before (such as the premiere of a young director’s work) and never will be seen again–since improvisation is created on the spot.
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges that Change Lives.
Comments are closed.