{"id":16649,"date":"2024-09-03T10:10:25","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T14:10:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/?p=16649"},"modified":"2025-02-19T14:02:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T19:02:04","slug":"2024-25-uri-theater-department-season-has-a-show-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/uncategorized\/2024-25-uri-theater-department-season-has-a-show-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"2024-25 URI Theatre Department season has a show for everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 Sept. 5, 2024 \u2013  What do Peter Pan, a female journalist, Dionysus, and big city gamblers have in common? Hint: They all share a home this year at the University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center.<\/span><\/p>\n

URI\u2019s <\/span>Theatre Department<\/span><\/a> takes dynamic storytelling to the next level with a lineup of main stage student performances ranging from a classic Greek tragedy to a bread-and-butter American musical. The range in themes and tone of each play offers students an opportunity to challenge themselves and rise to their strengths. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
URI Theatre closed last year’s season with “Little Shop of Horrors”. The 24-25 season will end with another popular musical, “Guys and Dolls”. (Photo by Mark Turek)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cMachinal,\u201d \u201cPeter and the Starcatcher,\u201d and \u201cBakkhai\u201d will premiere in J Studio in the Fine Arts Center, 150 Upper College Road. \u201cGuys and Dolls\u201d will be held at the <\/span>Robert E. Will Theatre to accommodate the iconic musical\u2019s scale. <\/span><\/p>\n

The season will begin <\/span>Oct. 10<\/b> with \u201cMachinal,\u201d directed by URI\u2019s own Rachel Walshe. <\/span>The 1928 play by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell is inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder. The play is considered one of the high points of expressionist theatre in the history of the American stage and offers contemporary students the opportunity to test the waters of avant-garde theatre. <\/span><\/p>\n

Walshe is an assistant professor of acting and directing at URI, where her interests include the intersection of performance and social justice. She is a professional director and dramaturge whose theatre work has focused, in particular, on the work of women writers and the development of new plays. <\/span><\/p>\n

Next, \u201cPeter and the Starcatcher\u201d by Rick Elice takes flight on <\/span>Nov. 21,<\/b> directed by Ted <\/span>Clement, professor of theatre at the Community College of Rhode Island. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a wonderfully delicious imaginative story that a lot of people have never seen or thought about. It’s the story before the story we all know; Peter Pan, Wendy, the lost boys \u2013 we get that \u2013 but we don’t know the beginning of that story,\u201d said Paula McGlasson, chair of the department. <\/span><\/p>\n

Clement\u2019s experience as a director at CCRI has a dynamic range, including \u201c<\/span>Circle Mirror Transformation\u201d by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker to Green Day\u2019s \u201cAmerican Idiot,\u201d which earned him the 2019 Motif Theatre Award for Best College Production and Best College Direction. <\/span><\/p>\n

“I\u2019m thrilled to have the opportunity to direct these exceptional URI theatre makers in creating a new interpretation of this wonderful play,” said Clement.<\/p>\n

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URI Theatre performed the classic “Macbeth” during the 23-24 season. (Photo by Jesse Default)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On <\/span>Feb. 27,<\/b> director Theo Fantozzi will lead the student-run production of the Greek classic \u201cBakkhai\u201d by Euripides. <\/span>Fantozzi is a senior pursuing a BFA in theatre (concentration in directing and stage management) and a BA in Global Language and Area Studies with a specialization in Classical Studies. They will spend the fall semester at the <\/span>National Theatre Institute<\/span><\/a> in Waterford, Connecticut, to hone his directorial skills before he returns in the spring to lead the student production. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe version we\u2019ll be using does a wonderful job of infusing an ancient story with contemporary poetry and meaning,\u201d said Fantozzi. \u201cI\u2019m hoping this production will serve as a gateway for connecting the oldest form of Western theatre \u2014 something we learn about extensively in class but rarely have the opportunity to explore as artists \u2014 with our modern education practically. It\u2019s going to be a great collaborative undertaking, and one I can\u2019t wait to share.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Each year, students (usually rising seniors with a concentration in directing) submit plays they are interested in directing. The proposals and plays are read by URI theatre professors and a selection is made based on what the play could contribute to the department and the specific student’s strengths. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTheo\u2019s love of ancient studies and scripts by the Greeks fits in perfectly with where he wants to go as a director,\u201d said McGlasson. \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of the student lead full-length plays. The <\/span>whole<\/span><\/i> thing is students. Everything is in the hands of our student body, and we, as faculty and staff, serve as advisors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The sweeping classic musical \u201cGuys and Dolls\u201d<\/span> (music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling)<\/span> will grace the URI stage starting on <\/span>April 17<\/b>. The season’s final production will be directed by Jimmy  Calitri, professor of theatre at Providence College.<\/span><\/p>\n

Calitri is no stranger to URI; he\u2019s an alumni and was assistant director on \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors\u201d<\/span> last season alongside department chair, Paula McGlasson. \u201cI\u2019m coming home to URI,\u201d said Calitri. \u201cAnd I\u2019m excited to continue building relationships with the theatre students.\u201d  <\/span><\/p>\n

While Calitri has ample experience as a professional artist (director at<\/span> White Heron Theatre<\/span><\/a> in Nantucket and artistic director at<\/span> Festival 56<\/span><\/a> in Princeton, Illinois), his heart lies with students. \u201cIt\u2019s more rewarding for me to work at a college,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about fostering the next generation of future artists. You want to make sure at a young age that they\u2019re getting a taste for something to be invested in and to get a taste of their own potential.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

This production of \u201cGuys and Dolls\u201d will be the very first at URI. \u201cIt is one of the most award-winning musicals of all time. We have an incredible team on that show. This is the only play to be put on in the Will Theatre to match the vastness and largess of a brilliant show like \u201cGuys and Dolls.\u201d Americanah \u2013 that\u2019s what it is,\u201d said McGlasson. <\/span><\/p>\n

2024-25 Season<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMachinal\u201d by Sophie Treadwell 
\n<\/b>Oct. 10-12 and 17-19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
\n<\/span>Oct. 13 and 20, 2024, at 2 p.m. 
\n<\/span>J-Studio<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeter and the Starcatcher\u201d by Rick Elice
\n<\/b>Nov. 21-23 and Dec. 5-7, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. 
\n<\/span>Nov. 24 and Dec. 8, 2024, at 2 p.m. 
\n<\/span>J-Studio<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBakkhai\u201d by Euripides 
\n<\/b>Feb. 27 and March 1, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
\n<\/span>March 2, 2025, at 2 p.m.
\n<\/span>J-Studio <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGuys and Dolls\u201d
\n<\/b>April 17-19 and 23-26, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
\n<\/span>April 27, 2025, at 2 p.m. 
\n<\/span>Robert E. Will Theatre<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Season will feature \u2018Machinal,\u2019 \u2018Peter and the Starcatcher,\u2019 \u2018Bakkhai,\u2019 and \u2018Guys and Dolls.\u2019 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5153,"featured_media":16658,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[55,118],"class_list":["post-16649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized","tag-fine-arts","tag-theatre"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5153"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16649"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17349,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16649\/revisions\/17349"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/artsci\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}