Pitt State Theatre to feature eclectic production mix

Aug. 26—PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pitt State Theatre is kicking off its 2022-2023 season this fall with a musical comedy of a literary fairy tale and is hosting auditions next week for "Once Upon a Mattress."

The theater company, based out of Pittsburg State University, is under the direction of the communication department and is housed in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, located at 1711 S. Homer St. in Pittsburg.

Megan Westhoff, assistant professor and director of theater at PSU, said they're excited for this upcoming season because it contains a good mix of productions that will give students learning opportunities and experience they need upon graduation.

"Students are going to go out and work in theater, and they're not always going to be doing one specific type," she said. "We want to give them a variety of experiences — technical, acting challenges. We try to balance that throughout the season."

This year's season launches with the musical "Once Upon a Mattress," a comedy rendition of fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea." The play follows Winnifred the Woebegone, a shy and awkward girl who wants to win the heart of Prince Dauntless, the son of Queen Aggravain. But there's one problem. Queen Aggravain has sabotaged the efforts of every young princess who has hoped to marry Dauntless.

The production will be directed by Megan Westhoff, with music direction under Kimberly Arzoian and choreography by Elizabeth Hayes.

"We get to collaborate with our dance minor program, and one of the graduate students is choreographing for us," Westhoff said. "A middle school choir teacher is doing the music for us. We love to collaborate with other people in the community, which makes it bigger and introduces more people to theater. Everybody has these different skills that we can tap into."

Pitt State Theatre is hosting auditions for "Once Upon a Mattress" at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday in the PSU Studio Theatre, Room 108 in Grubbs Hall, 311 E. Cleveland Ave.

Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, through Saturday, Oct. 29, and matinee performances at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, in the Dotty and Bill Miller Theater, located inside the Bicknell Center.

1-act plays

Students enrolled in COMM 544 Stage Direction Class will direct one-act plays, which will be their public final exam. Westhoff said this is the final class that theater and communication education students need in order to teach theater, speech, debate or forensics in K-12 settings.

"They choose a one-act play," she said. "They do a lot of reading and talk about the practices of directors and communication skills like how to get along with actors and how to collaborate with fellow directors. They hold auditions, cast it, host rehearsals, and their final exam is open to the public."

The shows are free and will differ each night. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, in the PSU Studio Theatre in Grubbs Hall. Audience members may use the Joplin Street entrance.

'Emilia'

Emilia Bassano was a trailblazer 400 years ago, but her story is almost completely lost to history. She is considered to have been the first woman to have published a collection of poetry, yet most remember her for potentially being the "Dark Lady" in Shakespeare's sonnets. In this contemporary play about a historical period, she struggles with getting her work seen and her voice heard. The play is directed by Gil Cooper and Jenna Russell. It will also feature an all-female cast.

"This is an interpretation of what Shakespeare and Emilia's life would've been like," Westhoff said. "There is some music involved in it."

Westhoff said it's a relatively new play, and it's one of the first times it has been staged in the U.S.

"It looks at Shakespeare through a completely different lens because during Shakespeare's time, all of the characters were played by men, even female characters," Westhoff said. "Women were not allowed to be on stage. Now, it tells their lives and their stories from the perspective of these characters."

Auditions are to be announced. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, through Saturday, Feb. 25, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, Feb. 26, in the Dotty and Bill Miller Theater.

'Animal Farm'

This production is based on George Orwell's 1945 novel "Animal Farm." The animals on Mr. Jones' farm have been overworked and mistreated, so Major the pig inspires the tired animals to rise up and overthrow Jones.

For a time, the animals lived in a paradise of idealism, but then the corrupt leadership of Napoleon the pig threatened the very livelihood the animals worked to achieve. The tale serves as a cautionary parable against totalitarianism. The production is directed by Linden Little.

"It's really cool because they go through the French Revolution, and all of it is pantomimed, so there's a lot of physical performance that's part of it," Westhoff said. "It takes the story to a different level."

Auditions are to be announced. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, 2023, through Saturday, April 22, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23, in the Dotty and Bill Miller Theater.