The School of Dramatic Arts has revealed the plays and musicals that will grace USC’s many storied stages this upcoming fall semester. From Broadway-famed musical romances to the timeless work of William Shakespeare, SDA’s slate promises ample entertainment — and plenty of auditions — throughout the next four months.
Though independent student productions in and around USC are sure to light up stages professional and otherwise in the coming semester, SDA made the call for its students to audition for eight different plays in all.
Alongside the opportunity to give on-camera auditions for SCA projects, all SDA undergraduate students will be able to audition for four different stage works. Certain plays will have preferences for certain students or be exclusive to specific majors, such as projects reserved for BFA students in the musical theatre and acting for stage and screen programs, or those exclusive to second- and third-year master’s students.
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She Loves Me
The first work to grace campus in an official capacity will be the late Joe Masteroff’s “She Loves Me.” The 1963 musical, noted for its charm and warmth, will bring a story of anonymous romance between rival shop clerks to Bing Theatre for six performances from Sept. 26– 29. Jenni Barber, a Broadway veteran and adjunct lecturer at SDA, is set to direct this BFA musical theatre senior production, the first show of the year at USC’s largest venue.
“She Loves Me” is a storied play in its own right, having been the first Broadway musical to be streamed live. However, it is overshadowed by Masteroff’s later work, “Cabaret,” which has recently been revived on Broadway featuring Eddie Redmayne.
The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade (Marat/Sade)
At one of the University’s fresh theaters in SDA’s newest building, Peter Weiss’ “Marat/Sade,” as its name is often abbreviated, will bring old yet timeless reflections on class struggle to the Sanctuary Theatre in the Dramatic Arts Building. The MFA year three production, led by Stephanie Shroyer, will bring 10 performances of Geoffrey Skelton’s English language adaptation to the USC community throughout the month of October.
Machinal
From Oct. 25 to Nov. 3, actor and activist Sabra Williams will direct playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal.” The 1928 expressionist play explores themes of personal freedom’s friction with societal standards of the 20th century and desperate violence based on true facts. McClintock Theatre will house the undergraduate production.
As You Like It
The second SDA musical to grace Bing Theatre will be a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery. From Nov. 1–9, Anita Dashiell-Sparks will direct undergraduate actors in a well-known and iconic tale of comedy, romance and family drama engulfed in an original folk-pop score from this 2017 iteration.
Taub and Woolery’s fresh, musical take on a play explored many times over is certain to bring particular relief to the USC community. The original Shakespeare work was put on in the very same theater twice over, first in 2015 and later in 2022.
Polaroid Stories
Described as piercing, dark and painfully honest, playwright Naomi Iizuka’s “Polaroid Stories” conjoins classical myth and true stories told by a cast of dreamers and runaways. The play will be brought to life at the Dramatic Arts Building by adjunct lecturer Edgar Landa, from Nov. 7–10 through five live functions.
The story bases itself largely on Greek mythology, loosely adapting Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” However, while the original epic poem tells its stories through the gaze of gods and ancient, fictional creatures, “Polaroid Stories” allows children faced with homelessness, addiction and an unfair society to escape these tribulations and themselves live in myth and legend.
Skeleton Crew
MFA year two students will perform Dominique Morisseau’s 2016 play “Skeleton Crew” at McClintock Theatre under the direction of Michele Shay, a professor of theatre practice in acting and chair of performance. The tense, gritty, Recession-era work takes a look at the struggles of Rust Belt workers and the Black experience in Detroit. Audiences will be able to reflect on over five performances between Nov. 15–17.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Coinciding with “Skeleton Crew” in its dates but having its home elsewhere on campus, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is a 2013 stage adaptation from Simon Stephens based on the novel written by Mark Haddon 10 years prior. The play explores the thoughts and feelings of a neurodivergent teen as he tries to clear his name in a murder-mystery that uncovers plenty about himself as well.
Ashley Eskew, a part-time lecturer and director of last semester’s “Assassins,” will return to bring another play to the University, though this time at the Dramatic Arts Building instead of her previous experience in McClintock.
Old Times
Lastly, Nobel laureate Harold Pinter’s “Old Times” will close out both the MFA and overall SDA plays of the fall semester. At McClintock Theatre for five shows over three days early in December, this 1971 tale of tension, competition and seduction sees a man vying for the attention of his wife, as an old friend of hers revisits, ancient memories and new jealousies. Long-time SDA production director and renowned voice actor John DeMita is set to lead the practicum.
