2017-18 Purdue Theatre to present mystery, comedy, drama and more

The 2017-18 Purdue Theatre season will explore themes of greed, love, sexism, oppression, racial relations and more through four very different plays.

The season includes plays that were written in and depict various historical times as well as modern ones.

Three of the shows will be performed at the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre and one will be performed at the Carole and Gordon Mallett Theatre. Both are in Yue-Kong Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts. All shows will be directed by Purdue theatre faculty.

Ticket costs are general public, $19.50; students, $12.50; seniors age 62 and up, $15.50.

Season ticket packages offering discounted prices are available. Group sales also are available. For tickets, call 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW [7469]. Tickets may also be purchased at the Loeb Playhouse Box Office in the west lobby of Stewart Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and at the Pao Hall box office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. On show days, tickets may be purchased at the Pao Hall box office from 6 to 8 p.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. for Saturday and Sunday matinees.

This year’s lineup features the following productions:

* “The Mousetrap,” written by Agatha Christie and directed by Richard Stockton Rand, professor of theatre. This play, which is the longest-running play in London history, tells the story of a group of strangers stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, and one of them is a murderer. “The Mousetrap” serves to remind viewers that appearances are not what they seem to be, and as close as we are to the people closest to us, the mystery of who they are can never be fully known. The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22, 23 and 27-30 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 24, 30 and Oct. 1in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in Pao Hall. It is rated PG-13 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

* “The Sins of Sor Juana,” written by Karen Zacarias and directed by Kristine Holtvedt, associate professor of theatre. This play tells the story of Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz, one of the first published poets of the Americas, who was born in Mexico in 1648, a poor and illegitimate child. She became renowned for her intelligence and ambition, and joined the viceregal court of New Spain, but suddenly left it later to join a convent. The play is a researched fantasy that explores turning points in this woman’s life and presents a classic dilemma of choice: When faced with oppression, are we willing to compromise our integrity to avoid conflict, or will we fight for our beliefs? The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 11 and 15-18 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 12, 18 and 19 in the Carole and Gordon Mallett Theatre in Pao Hall. It is rated PG-13 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

* “The Beaux’ Stratagem,” written by George Farquhar, adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig, and directed by Richard Sullivan Lee, associate professor of theatre. First produced in England in 1707, this play tells the story of two young bucks who, having spent all their money, leave London and roam from town to town in search of love and fortune. In order to find a wealthy heiress for at least one of them, they post as master and servant, exchanging roles from one town to the next. This play has both situational comedy and witty repartee, but also addresses social issues. The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16, 17 and 21-24 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 18, 24 and 25 in the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre. It is rated PG-13 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

* “Clybourne Park,” written by Bruce Norris and directed by Amy Lynn Budd, visiting assistant professor of theatre. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play, “Clybourne Park” is a satire about the politics of race written as a response to Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” In 1959, Russ and Bev are moving out to the suburbs and have sold their house to the neighborhood’s first black family. In 2009, the roles are reversed when a young white couple buy the lot in what is now a predominantly black neighborhood. In both cases, a community showdown takes place, pitting race against real estate with this home as the battleground. This place questions how far we’ve really come in terms of race relations in the United States, with particular reference to gentrification. The play will be staged at 7:30 p.m. April 13, 14 and 18-21 and 2:30 p.m. April 15 and 21 in the Nancy T. Hansen. It is rated PG-13 and is recommended for ages 14 and up.

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders, kschnied@purdue.edu

Source: Anne Fliotsos, professor of theatre and interim theatre chair, fliotsos@purdue.edu