Ohio State-Mansfield's fall theater season to feature 3 plays, 1 zombie movie

Joe Fahey likes to say the upcoming theater season at Ohio State University-Mansfield "really has something for everyone."

"We are so excited to launch this season," said Fahey, associate professor of theater at OSU-M.

It will kick off Oct. 20-23 with "The Mousetrap" by famed mystery writer Agatha Christie.

After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them.

"Our first show is a proven crowd pleaser, having the longest run of any show in history," Fahey said. "It also captures the public's renewed fascination with murder mysteries. If you're going to see a mystery, why not see the signature play by the great Agatha Christie, right?"

OSU-Mansfield to show horror classic 'Night of the Living Dead'

The second offering is a Halloween weekend movie showing of the zombie classic "Night of the Living Dead," directed, photographed and edited by George Romero.

The first modern zombie film has a group of strangers trapped in a farmhouse who find themselves fending off a horde of recently dead, flesh-eating ghouls.

Romero's claustrophobic vision of a late-1960s America literally tearing itself apart combined gore with social commentary and broke new ground by casting Black actor Duane Jones in the lead role.

"Our second project has everyone we've talked to very excited," Fahey said. "'Night of the Living Dead' is a great film on many levels. It was revolutionary for its time, it makes a social statement, and it has zombies.

"We are adding live jump-scare actors for two of the three showings with 'touch-OK' and a 'no-touch' zone, so it should be an extra special Halloween treat. The film is intense, but it is not especially gory, so it can appeal to most ages."

There will be three showings. The ones on Oct. 26 and Oct. 31 will feature a jump-scare version with live actors, while the Oct. 29 showing will be a traditional version with no extra scares.

"Night of the Living Dead" will not have a charge.

Veterans Day weekend to include tribute to war horse

Rounding out the fall semester is a special Veterans Day event, "A Horse Named Reckless."

The play tells the true story of Sgt. Reckless, a small chestnut mare who fought along U.S. Marines and became one of their own during the Korean War.

Sgt. Reckless was wounded in combat twice and became the first horse in the Marines known to have participated in an amphibious landing. The mare was awarded two Purple Hearts, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal and Presidential Unit citations from two countries.

"A Horse Named Reckless" is being offered in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the armistice and all who served.

Performances of this original work will be offered Nov. 10-12. There will be no charge.

The final show of the 2023-2024 season is "The Trail to Oregon!" It's an audience-participation musical comedy originally produced by StarKid Productions.

Based on the 1990s videogame "The Oregon Trail," the play follows an all-American family as they travel from Missouri to Oregon in 1848.

During the family's journey, they encounter the prospect of starvation, bandits, snake bites and dysentery. And just like the game, the audience can name the family members and choose the play's ending.

"The Trail to Oregon!" will run from March 1-4.

"It's our first musical in several years," Fahey noted. "'Trail to Oregon' is a great way to remember the 1990s videogame but also to have a fun and silly evening of theater."

Of the ambitious upcoming season, Fahey said, "We've kept our ticket prices as low as we can — including two free performances — in hopes that we can offer an affordable opportunity for all of us to share the arts as a community."

OSU-M fall theater lineup

● “The Mousetrap”– Oct. 20-23

● “Night of the Living Dead” movie – Oct. 26, 29, 31

● “A Horse Named Reckless” – Nov. 10-12, free admission

● “The Trail to Oregon!” March 1-4, free admission

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X (formerly Twitter): @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: OSU-Mansfield announces fall theater lineup