“Seussical” – Jan. 24 to 26 “Seussical,” with its energetic music scores and loveable characters, is guaranteed to bring energy to the first weekend of the spring 2014 semester. Directed by professor of theatre Melanie Blood, the musical involves both students and a local children’s choir as the Who Chorus. “Seussical” is written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and follows Horton the elephant as he hears a Who, guards a nest and interacts with characters from over eight Dr. Seuss children’s books. Blood described it as “very high energy, very fun and very fast-paced.”
The Puppet Plays – January 26
This one-of-a-kind performance directed by professor of theater Crystal Ferrell is a compilation of four short plays using numerous intricate puppets and a heavy dose of creativity. “The Jabberwocky,” “The Scorpion and the Frog,” “The Myth of the Phoenix” and “A Sock Puppet Song” will be performed using sock puppets, bunraku puppets like those found in Japanese theater, shadow puppets and the “hand-and-rod” style made famous by The Muppets. This 30 to 45 minute production is “something that’s not normally seen on the Geneseo campus,” Ferrell said. A small cast of 17 students, three faculty members and one staff member will produce the plays.
“Wit” - Feb. 13 to 15
“Wit,” presented by Cothurnus and Veg S.O.U.P., is sure to entertain all who attend with its internal drama and thought-provoking plot. Directed by seniors Kate Mandracchia and Meg Sexton, “Wit” is funded, run and produced by students. It follows the life of an English professor who finds out she is dying of cancer. As Blood explained, it “follows her intellectual life and how she deals with limitations of her body.” It is the first of two Veg S.O.U.P. productions in the spring semester, but the time and title of the second production remain undecided.
“The Lost Women of Troy” - April 30 to May 3
“The Lost Women of Troy” is an evocative and informational play depicting the horrors faced by women in times of war, from the Trojan War to modern times. Written by Hanoch Levin, this story is “a condemnation of all sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” according to the play’s director, professor of theater Randy Kaplan. According to Kaplan, the performance will be an adaptation of this play but focus less on its “geo-political” standpoint and instead attack the broad issue of “how women and their children are not only appropriated but deeply violated by men during wartime.” Geneseo’s Asian American Performance Ensemble GENseng and the department of theater and dance are coproducing the play. Auditions are Jan. 23 and 24.