Noises Off by Michael Frayn, April 2008
Noises Off follows the on and off-stage antics of a touring company as they fumble from dress rehearsal to the disastrous last night of their production of the sex comedy, Nothing On. Everything that can go wrong does, as the cast desperately tries to hang on to their lines, their performances and their clothing, resulting in a hilarious descent into chaos. (Produced through special arrangement with Samuel French)
Impromptu by Tad Mosel, February 2008
In this performance four actors sit on a darkened stage awaiting the arrival of the stage manager who has called them together. Lacking his authoritative presence they are merely characters in search of a play to become part of, for their own personalities seem unformed and shallow next to the full-blooded figures they are used to playing. They are also "types," and each of them has absorbed most of what he is from what he pretends to be on the stage. The "drama" which unfolds is a mixture of truth, fantasy and well-rehearsed situations, but out of it, in subtle progression, comes a deepening awareness of the real people behind the theatrical facades.
The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang, November 2007
The Actor's Nightmare begins with George who casually wandered onstage, when he is informed that one of the actors, Eddie, has been in an auto accident and he must replace him immediately. Apparently no one is sure of what play is being performed but George (costumed as Hamlet) seems to find himself in the middle of a scene from Private Lives, surrounded by such luminaries as Sarah Siddons, Dame Ellen Terry and Henry Irving. As he fumbles through one missed cue after another the other actors shift to Hamlet, then a play by Samuel Beckett, and then a climactic scene from what might well be A Man for All Seasons—by which time the disconcerted George has lost all sense of contact with his fellow performers. Yet, in the closing moments of the play, he rises to the occasion and finally says the right lines, whereupon make-believe suddenly gives way to reality as the executioner's axe (meant for Sir Thomas Moore) instead sends poor George to oblivion—denying him a well-earned curtain call.
Taste of the Arts, October 2007
Lone Star College–Montgomery Center for the Arts will host a Taste of the Arts Fall Social on October 10th at 4:00 p.m. with a Preview Theatre performance at 5:30 p.m. The event begins at 4 p.m. and will include musical performances, an art exhibit and a special preview of Home Front by James Duff. The theatre performance will begin at 5:30 p.m. A variety of refreshments and drinks will be provided before the performance. The entire event is free to North Harris Community College District Employees and the community.
Home Front is a riveting drama that blends comedy and tragedy as it illuminates the dilemma of a middle-class Texas family unable to comprehend and deal with the deep-seated disaffection of their Vietnam veteran son. This production will be performed on the Mainstage at Lone Star College–Montgomery (Produced through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service).
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, October 2007
Lone Star College–Montgomery Theatre students have recently returned from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival held October 23-28 at San Jacinto College South. The season opener Home Front by James Duff was a participating entry for the festival. The cast and crew consisting of 12 theatre students produced the show in front of their peers, college administrators and KC/ACTF judges. The students were awarded the following for their participation and efforts with the production.
Properties Design:
Tim Stinnett
Linda Whittington
Sound Design:
Justyn Reed
Rick Sellers
Graphic Design:
Dave Kerr
Jennifer Hennessy, Richard Sellers and Michael Velasquez received nominations for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. The Irene Ryan Scholarships provide recognition, honor, and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education. Deborah Ellington, Instructional Dean for the T.E.A.M division also received recognition for Administrative Support.
Home Front by James Duff, October 2007
Home Front is a riveting drama that blends comedy and tragedy as it illuminates the dilemma of a middle-class Texas family unable to comprehend and deal with the deep-seated disaffection of their Vietnam veteran son. This production will be performed on the Mainstage at Lone Star College–Montgomery.
(Produced through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service)
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner, July 2007
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown By Clark Gesner has a variety of short scenes in this staging of a day in the life of Charlie Brown. His adventures lead to fun, laughter, and sincerity in this heartwarming musical for the whole family. Musical numbers include My Blanket and Me, The Kite, The Baseball Game, Little Known Facts, Suppertime and Happiness. Join the Peanuts gang in this fast paced, lighthearted musical, guaranteed to please audiences of all ages.
Produced through special arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library Inc. Based on the The Comic Strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz. Book, Music and Lyrics by Clark Gesner. Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer - Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Original Direction for this version of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” by Michael Mayer Originally Produced in New York by Arthur Whitelaw and Gene Persson.
The Foreigner by Larry Shue, April 2007
An inspired comic romp, equal in inventive hilarity to the author's classic comedy The Nerd, the present play enjoyed a sold out premier in Milwaukee before moving on to a long run Off-Broadway. Based on what the NY Post describes as a "devilishly clever idea," the play demonstrates what can happen when a group of devious characters must deal wtih a stranger who (they think) knows no English.
The play begins in a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by "Froggy" LeSeuer, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time "Froggy" has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers.
The Shape of Things by Neil Labute, February 2007
The Shape of Things is a modern version of Adam’s seduction by Eve. The play pits gentle, awkward, overweight Adam against experienced, analytical, amoral Evelyn, a graduate student in art. After a chance meeting at a museum, Evelyn and Adam embark on an intense relationship that causes shy and principled Adam to go to extraordinarily lengths, including cosmetic surgery, and a betrayal of his best friend, to improve his appearance and character. Labute’s work is an intense and disturbing study not only of the uses of power within human relationships, but also of the ethics involved in the relationship of art and life.
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival - Regional Festival, February 2007
Four of our students participated in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition. Trent Hooker and Justyn Reed were the scholarship nominees selected from the cast of 96 Minutes at the state level of ACTF held at San Jacinto College back in October. Brittany Miles and Cooper McClain participated as their acting partners.
Cooper McClain and David Ubel participated on the festival stage honor crew for each show. Both Cooper and David were recognized and awarded for outstanding participation on ACTF Regional Honor Crew.
The Sleeper by Catherine Butterfield, November 2006
The Sleeper follows the life of a suburban “security mom,” shell-shocked by the new post-9/11 reality, who finds herself irresistibly drawn to her son’s tutor, a handsome young man with political leanings far different from her own. Her “awakening” leads to a bizarre series of events that blow the lid off her previously sheltered existence and change the lives of all around her.
96 Minutes by Pamela Colloff, Adapted by Chase Waites, October 2006
Texas Monthly magazine and Lone Star College–Montgomery partnered to create the world premiere of 96 Minutes. 96 Minutes is the eyewitness account of that horrific day on August 1, 1966, as Charles Whitman gunned down students, professors, and others from the University of Texas Tower. Pamela Colloff, author of 96 Minutes, which appeared in the August 2006 issue of Texas Monthly, had the opportunity to interview a variety of witnesses and survivors. Those interviewed provide emotional accounts of the minutes that passed, heroic actions of those on campus, and the brave efforts to stop gunman Charles Whitman. This production was a participating entry into the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, October 2006
Lone Star College–Montgomery Theatre was recognized for Costume Coordination (Stephen Blaschke) and Stage Management (Keila Outlaw). Trent Hooker, Natalie Plaza, and Justyn Reed were cited for outstanding acting and received nominations for the Irene Ryan Scholarship competition to be held in Tulsa February 27 through
March 2.
Carousel by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Billy is sent down "from above" for one day to try and make amends for mistakes he made in life. Billy worked at the carnival running the carousel, which is where he met Julie. The carny owner Mrs. Mullen fires him because of jealousy, and he and Julie get married. Billy gets into bad habits when he can't find a job and they are forced to live with Julie's cousin Nettie after Julie is fired from her factory job for staying out late with Billy. When Julie tells him she's pregnant, he feels compelled to somehow find a way to support his family, but the only option seems to be falling back into crime with his old pal Jigger.
I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick, July 2006
I Hate Hamlet centers on the character of Andrew Rally, who seems to have it all--celebrity and acclaim from his starring role in a hit television series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a glamorous, devoted agent; the perfect New York apartment; and the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park. However, Andrew's series has been cancelled; his girlfriend is clinging to her virginity with unyielding conviction; and he has no desire to play Hamlet. But the swashbuckling ghost of John Barrymore, called up from a seance, takes Andrew as a reluctant protege and gives him a new outlook on life.
Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
A rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Introduced in 1970, it highlights the political and interpersonal struggles of Judas Iscariot and Jesus. The action largely follows the canonical gospels' accounts of the last weeks of Jesus's life, beginning with Jesus and his followers arriving in Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion.
A Midsummer's Night Dream by William Shakespeare
It portrays the adventures of four young lovers and a group of amateur actors in a moonlit forest, and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit it. Today, the play is one of Shakespeare's most popular and is performed across the world.
Bleacher Bums by Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz
Set in the bleachers at Chicago's Wrigley Field, Bleacher Bums sits in with some rabid Cubs fans as they watch their boys in blue take on arch enemies, the St. Louis Cardinals.