MainStage unveils 2009-10 Season of Science and Mystery
Who
The ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film
What
From the early stirrings of the modern scientific era to the futuristic dreams of artificial intelligence entities, the ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film’s MainStage 2009–10 Season of Science and Mystery explores the role of technology, science and the media in our lives. The MainStage season is the premiere platform for the community of students, faculty, staff and professionals who comprise the School of Theatre and Film.
“The new MainStage theatre season will investigate the ways in which society uses science and technology, and will look at where this road might take us into the future,” says Linda Essig, director of ASU Herberger School of Theatre and Film and artistic director of the MainStage season. Other season features include the 5th Annual Student Film Festival and the p.a.v.e. speaker program on arts entrepreneurship, which brings nationally renowned professionals from all of the arts to campus.
The MainStage 2009–10 Season of Science and Mystery opens with a look at the media in Tragedy: a tragedy, and from there takes a surreal trip to the time of Thomas Edison and his development of the X-Ray machine in Bone Portraits. These Shining Lives looks at the real-world consequences of introducing new technologies into the workplace, while in The Death and Life of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle and his daughter reprise the beloved science-minded investigator in a tale designed for families to enjoy together. The popular New Works Series enjoys a full production of the artificial intelligence drama AM:I, while projects in development are inspired by the writings of Charles Darwin and others.
MainStage 2009-10 Season of Science and Mystery:
Tragedy: a tragedy, a comedy by Will Eno
Directed by Joya Scott
Oct. 2–18, Lyceum Theatre, ASU Tempe campus
In this satirical look at the power of the media, the setting sun incites panic in a seasoned team of television news reporters.
Bone Portraits by Deborah Stein
Directed by Rachel Bowditch
Nov. 6–22, Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, ASU Tempe campus
Vaudevillian staging and circus ringmasters are the premise for Thomas Edison’s invention of the X-Ray machine. The play originally was commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre through a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
These Shining Lives by Melanie Marnich
Directed by William Partlan
Feb. 26 – March 12, Lyceum Theatre, ASU Tempe campus
In the 1920s and 30s, Chicago’s Radium Dial Company employed scores of women to paint radium on watch dials with little thought for worker safety. This play explores the consequences with tenderness and humanity.
The Death and Life of Sherlock Holmes by Suzan Zeder
April 16 – May 2, Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, ASU Tempe campus
Arthur Conan Doyle and his daughter create the classic character to solve both real and imagined mysteries.
New Works Series
AM:I by Dan Frey
Directed by Kyle Lewis
Dec. 2–6, Lyceum Theatre, ASU Tempe campus
This fully produced play allows audiences to get inside the “heads” of three artificial intelligence entities determined to escape the mind of their programmer.
Part of the School of Theatre and Film’s mission is to develop new work. The following plays currently are in development by our faculty and students:
- Dreaming Darwin
- Nelson Fine Arts Center, Studio 133, ASU Tempe campus
- Based on Charles Darwin’s letters, this play is developed by faculty member Lance Gharavi
- Interrobang
Lyceum Theatre, ASU Tempe campus
The MFA graduate student cohort, Interrobang, brings original work to life. An interrobang is a typographical mark that combines a question mark and an exclamation point. As a company of emerging theatre artists, this group, like the punctuation mark for which it is named, asks questions with great excitement about the nature of theatre and performance.
ASU 5th Annual Student Film Festival
April 26–27
Valley Art Theatre, downtown Tempe
A showcase of the best student films of the year produced in the School of Theatre and Film’s Film and Media Production program. The festival also includes a 5-minute film competition.
p.a.v.e. arts entrepreneurship speaker series
Public lectures by local and nationally known arts leaders enterprise creation. Events occur throughout the year in various venues. For more information about p.a.v.e., visit: http://theatrefilm.asu.edu/initiatives/pave.php
Where
Lyceum Theatre, 901. S. Forest Mall, ASU Tempe campus
Nelson Fine Arts Center, Studio 133, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus
Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus
Valley Art Theatre, 509 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281
When
The MainStage 2009-10 Season of Science and Mystery opens Oct. 2, 2009 and continues through the end of the spring 2010 semester. Sign language interpretation is available. Please contact the Herberger College box office at 480.965.6447, at least four weeks prior to performance date.
Cost
$7–$22; First-Friday performances, $11. Plays-in-development ticket prices are $7. Season ticket subscriptions are available. Season subscribers receive $9 First-Friday prices and plays-in-development are free.
Public Contact
Herberger College box office, 480.965.6447
School of Theatre and Film, 480.965.5337
http://mainstage.asu.edu
The School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University provides a comprehensive range of courses in performance and directing; design and production; new work development; theatre and performance studies; film; and theatre for youth. Its Theatre for Youth program is nationally ranked in the top three and the dramatic writing/playwriting program is ranked 15th among public institutions by U.S.News & World Report. To learn more about the School of Theatre and Film, visit theatrefilm.asu.edu.
Media Contact:
Laurie A. Trotta Valenti
ASU Herberger College
School of Theatre and Film
480.965.3381
laurie.trotta@asu.edu