The premiere of three original one-act plays by Boston College student playwrights will highlight the spring season of BC Theatre Department productions at Robsham Theater Arts Center.
“I am very excited about our spring season because of the diversity of plays offered,” said Theatre Department Chair and Associate Professor of the Practice Luke Jorgensen. “We have student-written plays directed by [Professor] Scott Cummings, and two student directed plays—one a musical—that are also both new and compelling.
“I am also excited that three out of four of our spring directors are POC female artists bringing their own amazing talents to our stage,” he said.
First up, January 27-30 in the Bonn Studio Theater, is “The Mad Ones,” written by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk. Directed by Madison Baker '22, this contemporary musical focuses on Samantha Brown, a young woman “mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved; for the first time, she sits in the driver's seat.” By immersing audiences in her memories, both real and imagined, it explores the complex inner life of a woman on the brink of everything.
“New Voices 2022”—which showcases original student works directed by Professor of Theatre Scott T. Cummings—will be presented February 17-20 in the Bonn Studio Theater. They include “All the Bad Kids Go To Mars” by Lily Telegdy '23, “Appassionata” by Aidan O'Neill '23, and “Channels” by Katie Meade '22. These exciting new plays—featuring characters in the 16-22 age range—raise compelling questions about friendship, identity—and robots.
"There's something very special for a young playwright, seeing their work in performance. You never really know what you have until the play meets an audience. It's a unique experience," said Cummings. This sixth iteration of “New Voices” since 2005 features for the first time three plays rather than two. “I'm excited to see how that changes the rhythm of the evening."
Added Cummings: “It takes a long time to develop new work for the stage. These plays were all begun more than a year ago in my playwriting class, revised over the summer, polished in time for auditions in November, and then tweaked in time for the start of rehearsals in January. The playwrights have been terrific in their commitment to perpetual improvement of the scripts."
The Bonn Studio Theater also is the venue, March 17-20, for “Truth/Dare,” written by Tori Keenan-Zelt and directed by Devyn Itula '22. It centers on Ursa, Hannah, Linney, and Maeve, who live in their own world of basements, secrets, and backyard ghosts—until the last sleepover before their freshman year of high school. With the promise and threat of reinvention looming, the group begins to splinter when shifting beliefs and identities collide in an event that none of them saw coming—or can explain.
Capping the season, award-winning director and Monan Professor of Theatre Arts Summer L. Williams directs “The Rocky Horror Show,” a musical based on the cult classic film, with music, lyrics, and book by Richard O'Brien. The main stage production, which will run April 27-May 1, will feature choreography by Larry Sousa, award-winning choreographer and director of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
In this homage to science fiction and horror B films, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, encounter the eerie mansion of scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter and a houseful of wild characters. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: "Rocky."
For tickets, contact or visit the Robsham Theater Box Office. Prices are $12 for students with a valid ID and for BC faculty and staff (one ticket per ID); $17 for adults; $12 for senior citizens. For more on these productions, including performance times and COVID-19 protocols, visit the Robsham Theater website.
Rosanne Pellegrini | University Communications | January 2022