The 2022-23 season at Central Methodist University’s The Little Theatre begins next month with the first of five shows for the academic year.
Dr. Mark Kelty, professor of theatre, along with the students and other faculty are raring and ready to give the campus community and the Fayette area another excellent season of entertainment.
“The world out there provides the drama,” said Kelty. “Inside the walls of The Little Theatre, CMU students process that drama, work out artistic solutions, and engineer new roads toward equality, understanding, and love. Every day.”
The season’s first show has already been cast, and performers and crew are preparing for opening night. The scheduled shows for the season are as follows:
Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth
Merrily We Roll Along begins in the present and moves backwards, tracing the lives of wealthy, jaded composer Franklin Shepard and his two estranged friends through each milestone of their personal and professional lives, good and bad. The show ends with a touch of rueful irony, as the three best friends at the start of their careers face a bright future: young, talented, and enthusiastic about the worlds waiting to be conquered.
Directed by Dr. Kelty, the show will run from October 13-16.
Student Directed Scenes by CMU students
The students taking the Directing Techniques class will present a slate of one-act shows as the culmination of their class activities, from December 8-10.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and adapted by Markland Taylor
The classic fantasy about Bilbo, a young and extremely reluctant Hobbit, who leaves home and sets off with a band of adventurers to slay Smaug the dragon and recover an enormous treasure, discovering the Ring in the process. Told with wit and humor, this entirely new play based on the Tolkien classic is specially designed for a small cast.
Running from March 1-5, the show will be directed by CMU professor Lonna Wilke.
Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon
Ordinary Days tells the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, happiness, love, and cabs. Through the score of vibrant and memorable songs, their experiences ring startlingly true to life. Ordinary Days is an original musical for anyone who’s ever struggled to appreciate the simple things in a complex place. With equal doses of humor and poignancy, it celebrates how 8.3 million individual stories combine in unexpected ways to make New York City such a unique and extraordinary home.
Central senior P. Rob Brown will be directing the show, which is slated for March 9-10.
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare
Another classic, Shakespeare’s tragedy explores love, trust, friendship, and betrayal between Othello, his right-hand man Iago, and his wife Desdemona.
Kelty will be back in the director’s position for the final play of the year, scheduled for April 27-30.
For CMU main stage productions, tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 CMU faculty and staff, CMU students free with ID. Check with the box office at 660-248-6281 for details.