We Don't Have Evil (Dead) Motives

Let's move onto the questions I received about MAINSTAGES...

Well, with my casting record, I can't say I know that much (not bitter)

I'll start with a couplet recapping of all of last year's shows:

Marisol:

"We witnessed the end of the world as we know it,/

If you have a fetus, be sure to glow it."

Boys from Syracuse

"Singing and dancing to Rogers (spell check much, TI?) and Hart,/

Those funny moustaches were my favorite part"

Thrush

"Boys dressed as zombies and girls kissing girls,/

'People store razors in their mouths in that world.'"

Spunk

"If racial confusion is what you are thirstin'/

come to Northwestern for Zora Neale Hurston"

Charlotte's Web

"Pigs made of wire and trash-stealing rats,/

Let's hope its a predecessor to a Shanley CATS!"

The Bacchae

"Be sure to bring a vaccuum and broom,/

If you go anywhere near the ladies' dressing room."

On the Verge

"Time traveling women and lots of pratt falls,/

That show about women had a lot of balls."

If your looking for the year before, think:

Cockney and Drag queens, Shakespeare and Schwartz,

Orphans and Flappers and women in shorts.

Further back?

Dorothy's raped and Joan is burned,

Dragons are reluctant, and barfly's worlds are turned.

NOW, back to the future:

The two shows coming up in a fall have already been cast (famously without a pref system).

What can I share about the fall?

Look for the cleverly named S****** T****, the annual fall musical, brought to you by the grad student found resembling a mix between an adorable lumberjack and a cute leprechaun. My sources tell me that this cast has already been working hard to learn their music. With a director that filled a theater to capacity despite a three hour running time on Dillo Day, a cast list that would merit an appearance from Sondheim (If only he hadn't pulled out... too bad), and a hush hush advertising agreement disabling off-campus advertising, the first show of the year is certain to be a bloody-good success.

Later in the quarter is INDIANS, a little known play with no intermission (isn't that part of theatre?)). Lead by the two muggiest of muggers, the cast Meeowmbers are looking a little shaggy growing their hairs out. Get ready for thick accents, thick make-up, and thick ticket sales.

The Winter auditions are quick to start after school starts, so here's a little inside information on the next two Mainstages:

MT Faculty Amanda Denert is returning to the Mainstage for the first time since 2006's romp with drag queens ASPHALT BEACH. Her students love her, her casts love her, and everyone whose gone through the Sophomore Movement quarter and can lie about how good their circus skills are on their resume love her because her mounting of J.M. Barrie's PETER PAN (the play, not the musical) will feature circus elements. Practice those splits, the juries still out on whether Peter will be male or female.

Don't forget Sins of Surjuano! Henry Godinez's next (and continual) Latino themed play... to follow after marisol's glowing success.  The artistic director of TI is sure to put on a show!

Chair of the theater department Rives Collins, is directing the children's tour, a musical called HOW CAN YOU RUN WITH A SHELL ON YOUR BACK.  Whip out your purple t-shirts and practice your alma mater because the show was penned by recent NU graduates Mahler and Schmuckler.  If you want to know what kind of songs to sing for the audition, you can catch both current and former NU students "charm"ing audiences at Monday-Night-New-Voices downtown. 

 

(Speaking of Downtown, I would like to wish good luck to former Master of Ceremonies bumping and grinding 1950's style this quarter at the Marriot Lincolnshire.  Also don't "judge" this NU Junior who's missing the first week of SWEENEY rehearsals to finish a successful run as an emergency put-in in a downtown musical you probably already saw last fall in Cahn.  Finally, one former classical composer (think after bach, but before beethoven) will be doing historic things with boys in the spring . . . not gay marriage.)

There's little known about the final two shows.  GHETTO will be directed by Dan Cantor.  THE ILLUSION promises to set its spell on audiences as well (but which tony kushner play will you pref?  This mainstage, or the epic ANGELS IN AMERICA grad lab show?)

HOW TO GET CAST... if you're lucky you'll get to meet one hunka burnin' man who graced us with 3 MAINSTAGE performances his Fletchman year (whoops, I mean freshman year) and he'll tell you how.