A State of Troy Theatre — “Getting Married” and “My Dear Hussein”


By
 in ,

The three shows this week are all presented by the School of Dramatic Arts, but they are all very different pieces of theater. Hopefully you are free to see them all!

First up is Museum, directed by professor Jack Rowe and starring the members of the sophomore BFA Acting class. BFA shows are always interesting to see, as they usually have a very clear sense of ensemble. This is the first show for the sophomore BFAs and it’s exciting to see them as a whole for the first time.

The play takes place in a museum of modern art at a new art installation. Throughout the course of the play, 42 characters attend the art show, ranging from art lovers to lost souls, students to museum guards. Many productions cast 42 actors for those 42 characters, but in this version, the 20-odd person class will have to tackle it on their own. Check out Museum at the McClintock Theatre this Thursday through Sunday (April 25-28).

If older theater is more your style, this weekend has the token “classical” show– Getting Married by the supremely witty George Bernard Shaw. Shaw tackles a wide range of issues relating to marriage in this show, including sex, children, property, and divorce. Written at a time with much different marriage laws than today, the stories still ring true.

The discussion revolves around a bride and groom, along with their families and friends as they discover their dissatisfaction with the rules and practices of marriage at the time. Directed by outside professional Robert Shampain, this BA-only production shows serious promise. It is always fun for students to work with texts by great authors like Shaw; it is a test of the performers’ training and skill. Getting Married runs Thursday through Sunday, (April 25-28) in the Scene Dock Theater.

The last show to discuss is My Dear Hussein, the last of the MFA New Works for this year. The play is about a 4 year old girl’s experience living in Iran during the Iran-Iraq war. Over the course of the story, we meet her 8 year old neighbor, her stuffed toy dog Hussein and her imagination’s rendition of the fearsome Saddam Hussein. It is written by MFA Dramatic Writing student Nahal Navidar and directed by experienced television actor Shishir Kurop. I’ve heard very good things about this production, especially its creative storytelling and actors portraying young children. My Dear Hussein is performing Friday through Sunday (April 26-28) in the Massman Theater.

There’s the roundup for the week! Only one more weekend of shows after this, so don’t miss your chance!