Upcoming 2008-2009 Season for the School of Performing Arts

By Priscilla Beth Baker

September 19, 2008

First up for the Theater Arts Season is A Skull in Connemara written by Martin McDonagh and directed by Gregory Justice showing Oct. 2-5, 7-9 and 13-18.  A dark comedy set in a quaint Irish village, the play centers on Mick Dowd, a gravedigger who has to exhume old graves to make room for new ones.  The grave he is currently working on: His wife's! 

Iphigenia 2.0 by Charles Mee and directed by Andrew Dolan premiers Nov. 14-16 and 18-20.  This is a re-imagining of the famous Greek tale of Agamemnon waging war with Troy but having to give up his daughter, Iphigenia.  Mee's "wild script" has many historical and contemporary twists.

Showing Feb. 25-March 1 and March 3-5 is Naomi Wallace's Trestle at Pope Lick Creek.  Not for the faint of heart, this heartbreaking drama, directed by Bob Leonard, "explores the edges of sexuality and death" of two teenagers racing a train at Pope Lick Creek.  The "highly visual and compellingly sensual" play is set in the wake of the Depression in the 1930's. 

And finally, Lysistrata, a modern adaptation by Daniel Zippy, shows April 21-26.  Director Bob McGrath brings Lysistrata's "plea for peace" into the 21^st century with a multimedia musical theater experience.  A satire of society and politics, Lysistrata has the women of Sparta and Athens refusing sex in an effort to end a long waging war. 

All shows are at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at Squires Studio Theater (except Lysistrata which is at Squires Haymarket Theater).

Tickets can be purchased on the first floor of Squires Student Center between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.  The ticket office phone number is: 540-231-5615. 

A full season of all four shows is only $24 for Virginia Tech students with a valid Virginia Tech ID/ Seniors ($7 for individual tickets).  Virginia Tech Faculty/ Staff/ General Public tickets are $32 for the season ($9 for individual tickets). 

Full packages including all four Theater Arts productions, University Chamber Music (six concerts) and NRV Symphony (three concerts) are also available.  Contact the ticket office for more information.