On Aug. 23, The ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance held a meet and greet for new and returning students. Karen Brewster, department chair, welcomed everyone back with pizza and exciting announcements for this year’s season.
Earlier in the week, the department announced four shows being brought to the Bach Theatre this season: “Androcoles and the Lion,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” “Little Shop of Horror,” and “Medea.” Two of these shows will be shown in spring, “Little Shop of Horrors,” will be shown from March 20 through April 2, and “Medea” will be shown from April 20 through 23. Two of these shows will be shown in the fall, “Androcoles and the Lion,” will be shown on Oct. 20 and 21, and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time,” will be shown from Nov. 17 through 20.
Auditions will be held on Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Martin Center for “Androcoles and the Lion.” Professor Ante Ursic will be producing “Androcoles and the Lion,” along with help from Dr. Brad Fugate. The style of this production is comedia del arte, a more complex artistic form showcased through masks.
“’Androcoles and the Lion’ is a story about empathy,” said Ursic, “Androcoles is a slave who runs away, meets the lion, then are put into battle together, the lion refuses to fight, and they are both freed.” Ursic says the production is a youth play and told students that, “performing for kid is humbling because they will tell you if they like it or not.”
The department is providing a study abroad opportunity for students apart of the theatre and dance program at ETSU. Ursic had traveled to Ecuador over the summer where he partnered with a local university specializing in theatre and dance. The study abroad opportunity is located in Ecuador and those who are interested should apply as soon as possible, according to Ursic.
There are also other opportunities for students interested in helping the theatre department. Professor Jonathon Taylor offered positions for students interested in stage management or helping choose shows for the department to perform in the following seasons. Executive aide, Tiffany Angaran, and technical director, Zach Olsen also spoke on positions for Academic Performance Scholarship recipients and Federal Work Study students in the costume department and working on sets for shows.
There is another theatre group at ETSU alongside the theatre department. The student-led group “Patchwork Players” is looking to grow their community and are always welcoming new students. They participate in a 24-hour play event annually and are always lending a hand to theatre students working on their thesis.
For more information about the theatre department productions visit: https://www.etsu.edu/cas/theatre/upcoming-production.php. If you’re interested in helping with stage management, contact Jonathon Taylor at: taylorjw2@etsu.edu.
If you would like to inquire about an APS or FWS position, contact Tiffany Angaran at mullinstr@etsu.edu. If you would like to learn more about Patchwork Players please visit their social media @etsupatchwork.
