Thursday, Jun. 11, 2009

Columbus State department of theater announces 2009-10 season

Wow! Columbus State University’s department of theater closed its 2008-09 season with a bang! There was the CSU International Playwriting Competition winner, “Fly Over Land,” last weekend that dealt with chronic pain. And the department’s final play, “Bibb City: Collected Lives from a Mill Town.” It is a collaboration with CSU Theater and ChattShakes.

Next season’s offerings from CSU Theater promises to be just as good as this year’s.

The Mainstage Series

The series kicks off with “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Tennessee Williams classic. It’s about Blanche DuBois, who can’t quite grasp the realities of life. She moves to New Orleans to live with her sister. Oct. 1-4.

“Cloud Nine” by British playwright Carly Churchill, satirizes the repressive nature of a Victorian family living in an African country ruled by Great Britain. Nov. 19-22.

“A Piece of My Heart,” by Shirley Lauro, is the story of six women involved in the Vietnam War and how it affected their lives. Feb. 4-7.

“Crazy for You” is the musical that features the music of George and Ira Gershwin, which tells the story of Bobby Child, a rich playboy, who just wants to dance. The plot includes mistaken identity, plot twists and huge dance numbers. April 1-4.

The Family Series

“Senora Tortuga” is a bilingual play featuring young Pedro and his family, who live in a barn near the Mexican border. Even though they’re very poor with little to eat, Pedro’s mother invites Senora Tortuga to share their meal. The mysterious woman comes back to dinner again and again, and fills Pedro’s head with fantastic stories that both intrigue and frighten him. Sept. 10-13.

“Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business” is about the famous little girl in kindergarten who can’t keep her mouth shut. Jan. 21-24.

Season tickets

Season tickets are available now.

The Mainstage Series tickets are $46-$52.

The Family Series tickets are $8-$16.

The combined series tickets are $54-$68.

Single tickets go on sale in August.

Call the box office at 706-507-8444 to buy tickets.

The Bibb City Project

This play, in which the students collected oral histories from former mill workers and residents (both current and former), as well as some business people, is really, really good.

It’s an excellent production and you can see it at 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 7 p.m. June 19-20 in the Studio Theatre, Theatre on the Park.

It’s free, though donations to the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co. will be appreciated.

SWS Exhibit

The Southern Watercolor Society Member Exhibit is an incredible collection of work by some of the finest watercolorists in the country.

You can see the exhibit 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, through June 27 in the Illges Gallery, Corn Center for the Visual Arts, 6 W. 10th St.

It’s free.

Call 706-507-8300.

Where’s Mike Epps?

Chris Dunlap, a promoter who’s originally from Columbus, now works in Atlanta. He has a date for comedian Mike Epps.

But he wanted to know where to put the show: The Columbus Civic Center or the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.

Let me know which venue you’d rather see Epps.

Contact Sandra Okamoto at sokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com or 706-571-8580.