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A SEASON 2013 -2014

From the Artistic Director“I believe that despite the enormous odds which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination…to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all.” - Playwright Harold Pinter Acceptance Speech for the

2005 Nobel Prize for Literature

Mix together three great journeys from three of our greatest playwrights and throw in an escapist farce and you have the recipe for our 2013-14 season. Up first, Tom Stoppard (recipient of the 2013 PEN/Pinter Prize honoring Stoppard’s commitment to Harold Pinter’s philosophy and legacy) takes us on an entertaining examination of intellectual discovery in Arcadia (September). We then get an equal dose of both high drama and comedy with productions of Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece Three Sisters (November) and the zany theatrical romp, The 39 Steps (February). Finally, we tackle one of the most fascinating and difficult plays ever written with our culminating event, Shakespeare’s Hamlet (April). And, those are just the ingredients for our main course; the Lab Theatre and Center for Performance Experiment have many more satisfying theatrical treats in store!

We hope you will join us at the theatre and enjoy these journeys as our students stretch their creativity and intellect, and hone their craft.

Warmest Regards,

Jim HunterArtistic Director, Theatre South Carolina

Photos by Jason Ayer

Tom Stoppard’s delightful comedic masterpiece, Arcadia (a 1994 Olivier Award winner for “Best New Play”), is a witty and hilarious intellectual puzzle about our unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The play, simultaneously waltzing between two centuries, two sets of lives, multiple passions, many mysteries and even, amusingly, the laws of thermodynamics, reveals in the climax that “it’s the wanting to know that makes us matter.” Vincent Canby of The New York Times declared Arcadia a “ravishing comedy...[that] pushes the audience to the edge of delicious bewilderment, then suddenly pulls back to make all as clear as need be.”

SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 5DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

Written by Tom StoppardDirected by Louis Butelli

SHOW TIMESSept. 27: 8pmSept. 28: 7pmSept. 29: 3pm

Oct. 2: 8pmOct. 3: 8pmOct. 3: 8pm

Oct. 5: 7pm & 11pm**1/2 price late-night performance

Photos by Jason Ayer

A vibrantly modern story, the characters in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, first performed in 1901, are haunted by an impending future beyond their control and recollections of a happier past that keep them from truly living in their present. This poignant journey clashes between nostalgia and modernity, between charm and anguish, between dreams and disappointment. The New York Times’ Charles Isherhwood observes that the “very fact of living feels strangely tenuous for the restless souls of Chekhov’s Three Sisters.” Experience this remarkable story in our intimate Longstreet Theatre.

NOVEMBER 15-23LONGSTREET THEATRE

Written by Anton ChekhovDirected by Steven Pearson

SHOW TIMESNov. 15: 8pmNov. 16: 7pmNov. 17: 3pm

Nov. 20: 8pmNov. 21: 8pmNov. 22: 8pm

Nov. 23: 7pm & 11pm* *1/2 price late-night performance

Collide an Alfred Hitchcock espionage thriller with the absurd style of Monty Python and you get Patrick Barlow’s manically theatrical comedy, The 39 Steps. Like magicians delightfully showing off their tricks, the cast of four becomes more than 150 different characters right before your eyes. Fusing all of the original film’s intrigue and edge-of-your-seat suspense into a script filled with zingers, witty repartee and countless clever references to the Hitchcock oeuvre, The 39 Steps is a fast-paced, Tony Award® winning whodunit, described by critics as “a dizzy delight” (NY Daily News) and an “absurdly enjoyable, gleefully theatrical riff” (The New York Times). Guest co-director Jim Helsinger is the Artistic Director of the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre.

FEBRUARY 21 - MARCH 1LONGSTREET THEATRE

Directed by Jim Helsinger and

Brad DePlanche

Adapted by Patrick Barlow

from the novel by John Buchan

& the movie by Alfred Hitchcock

SHOW TIMESFebruary 21: 8pmFebruary 22: 7pmFebruary 23: 3pm

February 26: 8pmFebruary 27: 8pmFebruary 28: 8pm

March 1: 7pm & 11pm**1/2 price late-night performance

“And then it started like a guilty thing Upon a fearful summons.” Consumed with grief, Prince Hamlet determines to avenge his father’s apparent murder, with devastating consequences for his family and the kingdom. Emotionally turbulent and fascinatingly intellectual, the tragedy of Hamlet is, without doubt, one of the greatest dramas ever created. Profoundly timeless, Hamlet proves why Shakespeare is, as rival playwright Ben Jonson declared four centuries ago, “not of an age, but for all time!”

Please note there will not be a Sunday matinee performance for this production.

APRIL 18-26DRAYTON HALL THEATRE

SHOW TIMESApril 18: 8pmApril 19: 7pm

April 23: 8pmApril 24: 8pmApril 25: 8pm

April 26: 7pm & 11pm**1/2 price late-night performance

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Robert Richmond

This season, Theatre SC announces a brand-new series dedicated to providing high-quality theatre productions for the next generation of theatregoers! Directed by Theatre Education professor Peter Duffy and featuring university actors, Jackie & Me is the fantastical adventure of a ten-year-old named Joe, who has the unique power to travel back in time simply by holding a baseball card! When his history class is assigned to write about an influential African-American, he knows just the hero to visit -- pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson! His trip back to 1947 throws him an unexpected curve-ball, however; when he arrives, he’s surprised to find he’s perceived to be African-American himself. What follows is a life-changing journey in Robinson’s shoes, as Joe learns what it’s like to be scorned by society and discovers first-hand the incredible courage it takes to rise above oppression.

MARCH 27 - APRIL 5

NEW!Theatre SC Young AudienceSeries!

LONGSTREET THEATRE

Written by Steven Dietz

Based on the book by Dan Gutman

SHOW TIMESMarch 27: 8pmMarch 28: 8pmMarch 29: 8pm

March 30: 3pmApril 2: 10am & 8pmApril 3: 10am & 8pm

April 4: 8pmApril 5: 8pm

Directed by Peter Duffy

Lab Theatre

Explore ... Experiment ... Enjoy!Get up-close and personal with dynamic characters and thought-provoking stories in the uniquely intimate setting of our black box theatre....

by Dael OrlandersmithDirected by Patti Walker

A 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman is a provocative, affecting drama about

the harsh realities of internalized racism in the African-American community, described in

The New York Times as “a battle cry for humanity and its possibilities.” In Orlandersmith’s haunting, poetic

script, light-skinned Eugene and darker-hued Alma recount the story of their lifelong relationship, evolving

from a childhood friendship to a grown-up love affair, and how their lives were forever shaped by the deep-seeded prejudices of parents and peers in their small Southern hometown. “Both a celebration of young love and a harrowing study of smoldering domestic violence, the play is both heartwarming and ultimately heartbreaking” (Variety).

Yellowman contains adult themes and language, and is not suitable for younger audiences.

OCTOBER 10-13

NOVEMBER22 & 24

The Lab Theatre is known for its fresh takes on great plays, but it can’t get fresher than this! whose words all ears took captive brings together a small group of our brightest students to create and perform two unique evenings of original short plays, all in under a week! Faculty supervisor, Professor Robyn Hunt, will assign surprise play topics at the beginning of the process and be on-hand to help guide the creative chaos, but the rest is up to our young theatre artists. The result will be two completely different evenings of “captivating” entertainment, filled all the thrills and surprises of seeing new plays performed for the very first time!

SEASON 2013 -2014

Tickets: $5, available only

at the door

All shows start at 8pm

Location: 1400 Wheat St. Booker T. Washington Bldg., across from Blatt P.E. Center

Written and Directed by Kat Martin

The side effects of life in the internet age are explored in graduate student Kat Martin’s original script, Status Update. Developed over months of research on the increasing dominance of social media and technology in our world, Martin’s insightful script exposes the unintended consequences of the “on-call” lifestyle. Will our increasing dependence on technology make us eternal or control us?

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 2

APRIL24-27

This trimmed up, modern rendition of Shakespeare’s controversial comedy explores how far people will go to get what they want in the game of love. Lucentio desires to win the heart of the fair Bianca, but society dictates that she can’t be married until her “shrewish” older sister, Katherina, finds a husband. Enter gold-digging scoundrel Petruchio, who will marry the first wealthy woman he can, and decides to take on Katherina as the ultimate romantic challenge. What transpires is an all-out battle of wits, as opposing forces try to tame each other in an ever more outrageous quest for wedded bliss!

by William ShakespeareDirected by

Marybeth Gorman

MAIN STAGE TICKET PRICES

To purchase tickets, call 803-777-2551.

REGULAR PRICE SUBSCRIBER*

Student $12 $48*USC Faculty/Staff, Military, Seniors 60+ $16 $64*

General Public $18 $72*

Or, purchase in person at Longstreet Theatre.Box office hours: Monday through Friday, 12:30pm - 5:30pm.Box office opens one week prior to each production run.

*Subscriber Prices include five tickets to use throughout the main stage season (Lab Theatre and CPE productions excluded). To subscribe, complete and return the form enclosed with this brochure, or visit artsandsciences.sc.edu/thea to download a form!

Longstreet Theatre is located at 1300 Greene St. Drayton Hall Theatre is located at 1214 College St.

Center for Performance ExperimentInvention and imagination come to the fore at the Center for Performance Experiment! Established in 2009, the CPE is a unique performance space dedicated to actor training, which presents both new and traditional works in exciting, experimental ways!

DECEMBER 8-9MFA ACTOR SOLO PERFORMANCESAn evening of works written, directed and performed by our second-year MFA Actors. Visit our website for show times. Free Admission.

Location:1512 Pendleton St.

Productions for Spring 2014 are in the works!

Visit our website for more info!

Your support makes it all happen!

Your tax-deductible contribution earns you a place in The Circle, our highly-esteemed donor network. As a member, you will join other like-minded individuals who love theatre and who know that the arts need support to survive and thrive. As a member you can receive free tickets, special event invitations, recognition in each show’s program and the satisfaction of knowing you are helping to create the finest theatrical experience in the state for our patrons and students alike.

To join, fill out and mail back the donor form enclosed with this brochure, or download a form at: artsandsciences.sc.edu/thea.

You can also email theatre@sc.edu with your desired membership level and contact information.

FILL OUR MOST IMPORTANT ROLE...

JOIN THE CIRCLE!

BENEFACTOR $5000 YEARLYReceives all the Patron-level benefits plus the honor of having an undergraduate scholarship in your name for the following year.

PATRON $1000 YEARLYReceives invitations for 4 to all preview performances and receptions, 4 complimentary tickets for all main stage shows, passes for all Lab shows, recognition in our lobby and programs.

SPONSOR $500 YEARLYReceives invitations for 2 to all preview performances and receptions, 2 complimentary tickets for all main stage shows, passes for all Lab shows and recognition in our lobby and programs.

CLASSIC $350 YEARLYReceives invitations for 2 to all preview performances and receptions, 2 complimentary tickets for all main stage shows to use yourself or give as gifts, pair of passes for all Lab shows and program recognition.

DONOR $100 YEARLYReceives an invitation for 2 to all preview performances and spe-cial receptions, pair of passes for one Lab show and program recognition.

GAMECOCK CIRCLE $25 YEARLYPerfect level for students, with recognition of your donor status in our show programs.

Questions? Call our main office at 803.777.5208 or email theatre@sc.edu!

Illustrations for Main Stage productions (except Jackie & Me) by Spenser Weeks. Illustrations for Lab Theatre productions by Jeremy Darby.

THEATRE SOUTH CAROLINA

Longstreet Theatre 1300 Greene St.

Columbia SC 29208803.777.4288 | theatre@sc.edu

ARTSANDSCIENCES.SC.EDU/THEA