The prize-winning department will again perform its popular productions in the Robert E. Will Theatre and J Studio of the Fine Arts Center, 105 Upper College Road, Kingston campus. Here’s the lineup:
•Marat Sade: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as
Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction
Of the Marquis DeSade by Peter Weiss
Marat Sade is a play-within-a-play and not historical drama. Its thought is as modern as today’s police states. It is total theatre; philosophically problematic, visually terrifying, it engages the eye, the ear and the mind with every imaginable dramatic device, technique and stage picture, including song and dance. The play is basically concerned with the problem of revolution. Are the same things true for the masses and for their leaders? And where, in modern times, lie the borderlines of sanity.
Performances: J Studio
Oct. 13-15, Oct. 20-22 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct 16 and 23 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: $16 General, $12 Seniors, URI Faculty/Staff, $10 Students
* The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, translated by Robert W. Corrigan: One summer in the late 19th Century a family and their companions convene at an estate in the Russian countryside. A new play is performed and lives are changed forever as we witness the evolving dynamics of love – young, mature, married, ilicit and unrequited. Anton Chekhov’s unique characters, including actors, writers, a teacher, a doctor, and wannabes take us on a journey filled with the poignancy of aspiration, success and failure in this tragicomic masterpiece.
Performances: Robert E. Will Theatre
Dec. 1 to 3 and Dec. 8 to 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec 4 and 11 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: $16 General, $12 Seniors, URI Faculty/Staff, $10 Students
• Tartuffe by Moliere, translation by Ranjit Bolt: Clutching ever-present rosary beads, shifting uncomfortably within the hairshirt he wears for continual penance, and always eyeing the women as they pass – Tartuffe insinuates himself into a wealthy Parisian household and turns it into wickedly funny pandemonium. This is Moliere’s Tartuffe, whose central character is a wily, opportunist and swindler. He affects sanctity and gains complete trust of the head of the wealthy family while everyone else sees how Tartuffe really is: crooked. Tartuffe is Moliere’s comic masterpiece that has been enjoyed by millions for centuries.
Peformances: J Studio
Feb. 23 to 25 & March 1 to 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 26 and March 4 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: $16 General, $12 Seniors, URI Faculty/Staff, $10 Students
• Singin’ in The Rain, based on the MGM Film, music by Nacio Herb Brown; lyrics by Arthur Freed; based on the screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green: Experience all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s golden age. It’s 1927, and Don Lockwood and Lina LaMont are the toast of Tinseltown until “talkies” come on the scene. You may remember Gene Kelly splashing his way through the famous MGM film but have you ever seen it live? Join us as our season finishes with a big splash featuring this spectacular and romantic musical comedy. There will be wonderful singin’ and dancin’ and, yes, it really will rain onstage!
Performances: Robert E. Will Theatre
April 19 to 21 and 26 to 28 at 7:30 p.m. and April 22 and 29 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: $20 general, $15 students and children
Tickets can be purchased online at www.uri.edu/theatre. For reservations, call the URI Theatre Box Office at 401.874.5843. For group rate information, call 401.874.2712. For mailing list or additional questions, call 401.874.5921 or 5922. URI’s Theatre Department encourages volunteers to help with its programs. Call 401.874.5922 for more information.