ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film MainStage Theatre

Who
Political satire just in time for the November elections, a premiere look at the father of jazz, and novel explorations of journeys to strange new worlds will be features of the ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film 2008–09 MainStage Theatre Season. “Our season will explore the boundaries that separate people from their homelands, from each other, from their dreams,” says Linda Essig, director of the ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film, and artistic director of the MainStage Theatre. “When you spill water on a map, lines blur. We will look to expand our vision beyond our comfortable worlds and into unknown lands that stretch beyond. It will be an exciting season, filled with opportunities for our students as well as our audiences to learn, to laugh and to walk in another person’s shoes. Come join us!”

What
The MainStage 2008–09 Theatre Season:

We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! directed by William Partlan – Lyceum Theatre, 901 S. Forest Mall, ASU Tempe campus.
Sept. 26–27 & Oct. 2–4, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 28 & Oct. 5, 2 p.m.
In this epic farce – which today takes on a frightening new relevance – the high price of food forces people to comic extremes. Dario Fo, winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature, describes his work as “concerned with basic hungers.” These hungers combine in a rollicking comedy of stolen groceries, hysterical pregnancies, political awakenings and hilarious comeuppances.Contains humor.

Festival of New Work: Three World Premieres

Don Coyote by Dan Frey, directed by Richard Perez – Lyceum Theatre, 901 S. Forest Mall, ASU Tempe campus.
Oct. 24, 30, & Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 26, 2 p.m.
An American and a Mexican coyote run a successful human smuggling business at the Arizona-Mexico border. But one day a car accident, a brutal killing, and a beautiful young woman named Rosa threaten to unravel the fabric of their partnership. Contains violence and strong language.

Buddy Bolden’s Blues, Workshop of a new play written & directed by Gus Edwards – Studio 133, Nelson Fine Arts Center, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus.
Oct. 25, 2 p.m.; Oct. 26, 30 & Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. 
The life and times of Charles “Buddy” Bolden, the reputed “Father of Jazz.” is deconstructed in this theatrical rendition. Set in New Orleans between 1894 and 1938, when America was experiencing intense social and musical changes, this dramatic work (with music) is presented as a work-in-progress directed by the author. Contains strong language.

Secrets of Gardenias, Workshop of a new play by Katie May – Studio 133, Nelson Fine Arts Center, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus.
Oct. 25, 29, 31, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 2, 2 p.m.
See the latest work from the author of last season’s riveting new play, Black Sheep Gospel.

Anon(ymous) by Naomi Iizuka, directed by Rachel Bowditch – Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus.
Nov. 21–22, Dec. 4–6, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 23 & Dec. 7, 2 p.m.
Loosely based on The Odyssey, this play is the poetic journey of a young boy, Anon, who has been separated from his family and country by war. The play explores cultural displacement, border crossings, war and the struggle to find one’s identity in the midst of unstable transnational shifts and forced relocation.

Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl directed by Leon Ingulsrud – Atrium Lobby of the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, 411 N. Central Ave.
Feb. 20–21 & 26–28, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 22 & March 1, 2 p.m.
A site-specific staging of this contemporary adaptation of the classical myth of Orpheus examining love, death and the afterlife, from the heart-wrenching perspective of Orpheus’ wife, Eurydice.

Camino Real by Tennessee Williams directed by Oscar Giner – Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus.
March 27–28 & April 2–4, 7:30 p.m.; March 29 & April 5, 2 p.m.
Camino Real leads legendary characters from myth and literature towards Terra Incognita during their lives’ journeys. The play is a pageant formed by the dreams of Don Quixote, the poems of Lord Byron, the prize fights of Kilroy the Boxer, and the veiled dances of Esmeralda the Gypsy.

Fourth Annual Student Film Festival
ASU Tempe campus TBA and Harkins Valley Art Theatre, 509 S. Mill Ave. in downtown Tempe. 
April 27–28, 7:30 p.m. 
ASU's program is the first in the nation to incorporate ethical considerations of the artistic endeavor of filmmaking. The public is invited to see their work and judge for themselves by voting in the annual Audience Choice Award. Tickets are $7 and available at the theater the night of the event.

MFA Cohort Project – Studio 133, Nelson Fine Arts Center, 51 E. 10th St., ASU Tempe campus.
April 24–25 & 30, May 1–2, 7:30 p.m; April 26 & May 3, 2 p.m. 
Every three years a select group of directors, performers and designers from across the nation gather in Tempe to create exciting theatre and earn their MFAs. See the ASU Herberger College School of Theatre and Film’s new MFA cohort present its first collaborations.

Where
Various locations

When
2008–09 MainStage Season

Cost
$7 - $22; Half-price tickets on the First Friday of any MainStage Theatre production; ASU faculty and staff get two-for-one on all full-priced MainStage Theatre performances; subscriptions available until July 11.

Public Contact
For tickets to all events: 
Herberger College box office, 480.965.6447
School of Theatre and Film. 480.965.5337 
http://mainstage.asu.edu

The School of Theatre and Film in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University provides a comprehensive range of courses in performance and directing; design and production; new work development; theatre and performance studies; film; and theatre for youth. Its Theatre for Youth program is nationally ranked in the top three and the dramatic writing/playwriting program is ranked 15th among public institutions by U.S.News & World Report. To learn more about the School of Theatre and Film, visit theatrefilm.asu.edu.

Media Contact:
Laurie A. Trotta Valenti
School of Theatre and Film
480.965.3381
laurie.trotta@asu.edu