Despite the arts community going dark due to COVID-19, the students and faculty of Winthrop’s department of theatre and dance are busy preparing for the 2020-21 season of performances. Next year’s season includes mainstage shows such as Matthew Dunster’s adaptation of George Orwell’s “1984,” the hit musical “Sister Act,” and a variety of student-directed performances in Johnson Studio Theatre.
The Student Works Series will kick off with “The Women of Lockerbie” by Deborah Brevoort on Sept. 30 through Oct. 4. According to student director Wren Brooke, the play deals with trauma, darkness, loss and grief by telling a story centered around the 1988 plane crash over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland.
“My vision and hope for ‘The Women of Lockerbie’ lies in pursuing the playwright’s intent, to tell a story of sorrow and grief in a way that is not necessarily dramatic or intended to manipulate the audience’s emotions, but is instead a truthful and genuine fact,” Brooke says.
Brooke’s vision for the show has become all the more important in the wake of COVID-19. “Brevoort never mentions the culprits in the entirety of ‘Lockerbie’, because finger-pointing and accusations do not belong in the process of recovering from loss. Thirst for revenge cannot be perpetuated if we are to allow healing to blossom from our grief.”
Calista Schultz will direct a show during spring semester, “What to Do When You Hate All of Your Friends, An Anti-Social Comedy” by Larry Kunofsky. The show runs from March 31 – April 3. According to Schultz, the show is “a dark comedy about the frustrations that come with building and maintaining relationships.”
The show follows a character named Matt, who “realizes that he hates all of his friends” and subsequently becomes involved with a group that claims to have perfected friendship, known as The Friends, led by a woman named Celia.
“The Friends introduce him to a completely different type of friendship, that may or may not include group shower parties and matching jackets,” Schultz says. “This show is relatable, ridiculous and will have you leaving the theatre appreciating your own friends just a little bit more.”
The full season is listed below. For more information on the Department of Theatre and Dance, visit https://www.winthrop.edu/cvpa/theatredance/
- “The Women of Lockerbie” by Deborah Brevoort
- Directed by Wren Brooke
- Sept. 30 – Oct. 4
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- “1984” by Matthew Dunster, from the novel by George Orwell
- Directed by guest director Christopher Brown
- Oct. 7 – Oct. 10
- Johnson Theatre
- Musical Theatre Workshop Presents: Another Opening…
- Directed by Matt Ferrell
- Nov. 4 – Nov 8
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- Winthrop Dance Theatre
- Directed by Meg Schriffen
- Nov. 12 – Nov 15
- Johnson Theatre
- Fall One-Act Festival
- Nov. 20 – 22
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- Senior Choreography Showcase
- Dec. 4 – 6
- Johnson Theatre
- “The Swing of the Sea” by Molly Hagen
- Directed by Fark Farris
- Feb. 10 – 14
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- “Sister Act” by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
- Directed by Stephen Gundersheim
- Feb. 17 – Feb 21
- Johnson Theatre
- “What To Do When You Hate All Your Friends, An Anti-Social Comedy” by Larry Kunofsky
- Directed by Calista Schultz
- March 31 – April 3
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- “A Servant to Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni
- Directed by Matt Ferrell
- April 7 – April 11
- Johnson Theatre
- Spring One Act Festival
- April 16 – 18
- Johnson Studio Theatre
- Spring Dance Showcase
- April 23 – 25
- Johnson Theatre
Infographic: Laura Munson/ The Johnsonian
Photo: Olivia Esselmen/ The Johnsonian
