|
October 4-6, 2018 7:30 p.m. Curtain Image
|
Nell GwynnBy Jessica Swale It is 1660. The Puritans have run away with their drab grey tails between their legs. Charles II has exploded onto the scene with a love of all things loud, French and sexy. And at Drury Lane, a young Nell Gwynn is selling oranges for sixpence. Little does she know who's watching. Nell Gwynn charts the rise of an unlikely heroine, from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain’s most celebrated actress, and her hard-won place in the heart of the king. But at a time when women are second-class citizens, can her charm and spirit protect her from the dangers of the court? And at what cost? Winner of the 2016 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Jessica Swale's brilliant and bodacious new work about theatre's most legendary love affair is a love-letter to theatre itself and the cheerful chaos involved in putting on a play. Hot on the heels of its original Globe Theatre premiere and successful West End remount, Nell Gwynn is a radiant, ravishing and rollicking celebration of history and the heart. Reserve tickets online or call 402.826.8256. |
|
|
November 15-17 7:30 p.m. Curtain
Image
|
The ChristiansBy Lucas Hnath A big-little play about faith in America Ten years ago, Pastor Paul’s church was a modest storefront. Now it houses thousands, with a coffee shop in the lobby and a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool. But Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the foundation of his congregation’s beliefs. Certainty and doubt come to a head as Pastor Paul’s stunning revelation just may turn his congregation of thousands back into a congregation of one. This compassionate nuanced look at faith in America asks: How much are you willing to give up for your beliefs? Backed by a live choir, The Christians is both epic and unexpectedly intimate, an unflinching look at faith in America — and its power to unite or divide. The Christians is inviting audiences to respond to the play — which offers the kind of serious look inside contemporary American Christianity that is infrequently seen on the stage — by sharing their own stories. Theatergoers are invited to answer the questions, “What faith did you grow up with?” and “Have your beliefs changed?” “Do you believe in a higher power?” and “How often do you attend a house of worship?” Reserve tickets online or call 402.826.8256. |
|
|
February 28-March 2 7:30 p.m. Curtain Image
|
Ubu the KingBy Alfred Jarry Ubu the King is a parody of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, with bits of Hamlet and King Lear tossed in the mix. As an outrageous absurdist farce, Ubu the King examines the monstrous personality of Papa Ubu, a gluttonous and brutal creature who murders the royal family of an immaterial foreign power in order to ascend to the throne. Jarry modeled his evil character “Ubu” after one of his teachers in grade school. However, his adolescent joke as a fifteen-year-old was resurrected and evolved over the years into something much greater, as his re-work began to examine the absurdity of bloodlust and the thin line between tragedy and farce. One hundred twenty years later, the text displays similarities between Jarry’s characters and some of the current American political scene’s more famous personalities too difficult to ignore. As Jarry intended, no one is unscathed. The knives are out! Reserve tickets online or call 402.826.8256. |
|
|
May 2-4 7:30 p.m. Curtain Image
|
Carrie the MusicalBook by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore In this revamped, contemporary version of the famous (and infamous) 1988 production, Carrie: The Musical follows a young woman with telekinetic powers. An outcast at school, where she is bullied viciously for her differences, Carrie is also lost at home, with a fervently religious mother whose love traps her in its maw. When PE teacher Miss Gardner, kind classmate Sue Snell, and boyfriend Tommy Ross reach out to try and help Carrie, it seems that for once, Carrie might have a shot at being accepted. But Chris Hargensen, the class’s most vicious bully, has other ideas. Pushed to the brink, Carrie’s powers threaten to overwhelm her, and devour everyone around her in flame Carrie: The Musical‘s brief stay on Broadway and crazy production history made it the subject of obsession for theatre aficionados. It inspired a book—Ken Mandelbaum’s Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops—and bootlegs from the Stratford and New York performances made the rounds, which grew the show’s popularity. It became a staple in high school and college theatre clubs, inspired parodies, and a few of the songs (like “When There’s No One”) even became popular solo audition songs. The ongoing interest in Carrie: The Musical led to an off-Broadway revival in 2012. A lot of the songs from the 1988 production were excised and replaced. This version was much more acclaimed, and an official cast recording was finally made available to the public. But for years, as April Wolfe noted on Twitter, “the only cast recording available until 2012 was done by a Norwegian middle school, which translates the songs [and] added one new one. It was the only way many people were able to find the music,” adding later that, it “was impossible to find the music anywhere like people burned every copy of the play book.” Reserve tickets online or call 402.826.8256. |
All productions are held in the Whitcomb Lee Conservatory on Doane University's Crete Campus (1014 Boswell Ave, Crete, NE 68333). If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Tanner.