Samurais fight on Lansing stage while French girls dance in East Lansing
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Act I: Ixion launches action-filled nerd play
What would “Mean Girls” look like if it had stage combat and more nerd culture? It might look a little like Qui Nguyen’s play “Begets: Fall of a High School Ronin,” which Ixion Ensemble is producing March 17, 18, 24 and 25.
It’s not the first time they’ve done one of the screenwriter and playwright’s works, stories that center strong female characters and drenched in pop culture references. They several times performed his “She Kills Monsters,” including taking it on the road to a gaming convention in Indianapolis. They also performed his “Fight Girl Battle World.”
This most recent show, once again starring Storm Kopitsch in the lead role, sets an action-packed samurai story in an American high school. Kopitsch plays Emi Edwards, a high school geekgurl who wants to overthrow the cruel shoguns of her school. But popularity and power are corrupting factors that might sidetrack her. Either she’ll establish a new world order or she’ll get caught in a circle where violence begets more violence.
“We can’t wait to share another rock ‘em sock ‘em good time with Lansing audiences,” says Ixion Artistic Director Jeff Croff. “This is the third of his scripts we have produced; the prior two were filled with pop culture references, stage combat and a serious dose of nerd humor and this one is no exception.”
The play will be performed at 8 p.m. at Lansing Mall’s West Wing.
In addition to Nguyen’s stage work, he also writes for Walt Disney Animation Studios. He wrote “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Strange World.”
Act II: Original ballet brings classic children’s story to East Lansing
Sometimes, when a work doesn’t exist, you have to create it yourself.
P.K. Van Vorhees and Elizabeth Williams have created and choreographed “Madeline The Ballet: Stories for Everyone,” which will be performed by dancers from The Studio at 2 p.m. March 11 and 12 at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center.
The ballet is inspired by Ludwig Bemelmans’ children’s books about the young Madeline, a student at a French boarding school. The ballet follows the adventures of Madeline and her friends in the streets of Paris. It includes a stray dog, a “bad hat” neighbor and a crazy chase of a traveling carnival troupe. It ends with a dance-off between the children’s governess and the motherless Fortune Teller.
Van Vorhees explained that all the Madeline stories have the theme of being open to adventure, something that she feels is particularly relevant as we continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. There wasn’t a ballet telling the Bemelmans stories, so Van Vorhees and Williams created one.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at madelineballet.eventbrite.com.
Encore!
Lansing Community College Performing Arts is producing Sean O’Casey’s “I Knock at the Door” as adapted by Paul Shyre at 8 p.m. March 16-18. Directed by Andy Callis, it features Gini Larson, Caleb Tracy and Molly Sullivan. It will be performed at LCC Black Box Theatre, Room 1422, Gannon Building. It includes Irish music by Doug Berch. Opening night will be a pay-what-you-can fundraiser for the theater scholarship fund while subsequent nights will be $10 general admission and $5 for students.
Citizens for Prison Reform and The Robin Theatre present “Solitary Shorts,” a mini documentary event discussing the trauma of solitary confinement and possible solutions at 7 p.m. March 23 at Robin Theatre. After the show, there will be a question and answer session with people who have experienced solitary confinement, some of them for years. The event is free and open to the public.
Ten Pound Fiddle is hosting folk legend Deidre McCalla at 7:30 p.m. March 10 at University United Methodist Church in East Lansing. The veteran songwriter has been making music for nearly 50 years and is part of a celebration of women’s history month. Tickets are $20 for the public, $18 for Fiddle members and $5 for students. On March 16, the Karan Casey Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the same location.
The DeWitt Community Concert Band and the Delta Community Choir are collaborating to “Fill the World with Music” at 7 p.m. March 22. The concert will take place at DeWitt Middle School Auditorium with each group performing individually and then together for “Song for the Unsung Hero.” The concert is free, but goodwill donations are accepted to benefit the DeWitt Community Concert Band.
The ConTempus Quartet will perform a free concert at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing at 3 p.m. March 12. The MSU string quartet will focus on dance music composed by women.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Samurais fight on Lansing stage while French girls dance in East Lansing
