A hush falls over the audience as the lights dim for the curtain to rise. The anxious actors wait patiently backstage for their cues with hopes that all will go accordingly. Finally, the lights come back up to begin a night of many adventures that occur not only before the crowd’s eyes, but with the use of their imaginations as well. And so began many of the plays performed by students here at FAU.
æ æ Every semester, graduate and undergraduate students within FAU’s theatre department come together for a chance to be cast in the upcoming season’s productions. This fall, FAU is proud to be showcasing A Bright Room Called Day and Hunting the Basilisk. The department anticipates a large crowd as their previous shows, performed for their summer repertory, gave way to a terrific turnout.
æ æ A Bright Room Called Day, written by the Tony award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, will be the first of the season’s two productions, running from September 29 thru October 8. Kushner, better known for his work Angels In America, wrote ABRCD in the 1980s. This story takes place in 1930s Germany in the apartment of a middle-aged actress named Agnes. The plot thickens when she and a few friends are caught up with certain events that concern Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party. Jean-Louis Baldet, long-time professor within the department, will be directing this controversial piece.
æ æ Noah Levine, FAU Alumni and theatre buff, says that he’s “really interested to see a Kushner play since Angels in America was such a hit on HBO. Plus, going to the theatre is a great night out!”
æ æ The second play performed in the fall season will be Hunting the Basilisk, running from November 10 thru 19. This original play is written by John Shafer, a professor at the University of Central Florida, and deals with more spiritual matters. Set in a wide time frame ranging from the late 1700s to today, four women from the afterlife find themselves confronting their internal conflicts that were brought about when they were alive.
æ æ FAU is excited to announce that Nanique Gheridian, Managing Artistic Director at the Palm Beach Dramaworks Studio Theatre in West Palm Beach, will be directing this mysterious show.
“We’re all really looking forward to it,” says Dr. Richard Gamble, head of FAU’s theatre department.æ æ For more information contact the FAU Box Office at (800) 564-9539 or visit www.fauevents.com.
