UIS Theatre Announces the '24-'25 Season
Celebrating 22 Years of Theatre that Matters
Fall 2024 - HURRICANE DIANE by Madeleine George
- Directed by Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson
- Scenic Design and Technical Direction by Dathan Powell
- Lighting Design by Craig Steenerson
- Costume Design by Cheyenne Flores
"Meet Diane, a permaculture gardener dripping with butch charm. She's got supernatural abilities owing to her true identity--the Greek god Dionysus--and she's returned to the modern world to gather mortal followers and restore the earth to its natural state. Where better to begin than with four housewives in a suburban New Jersey cul-de-sac? Pulitzer Prize-finalist Madeleine George pens a hilarious evisceration of the blind eye we all turn to climate change and the bacchanalian catharsis that awaits us, even in our own backyards."~ from Concord Theatricals
"Madeleine George "whirls ancient myth, lesbian pulp, ecological thriller and The Real Housewives of Monmouth County into a perfect storm of timely tragicomedy."~ The New York Times
"...this bracing eco-comedy spins Greek mythology, Earth goddess humor, lesbian pulp tropes and sharply drawn characters into a theatrical surge..."~ Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle
"Sex, gardening and climate change collide brilliantly..." ~ Sam Hurwitt, San Jose Mercury News
"Clever Eco-tragicomedy"--Emily S. Mendel, Berkeleyside
"hilarious and full of keen observation and profound human affection"--New York Magazine
SETTING (From Stage Agent Online)
A Well-Appointed Cul-De-Sac in Red Bank, New Jersey and the World Beyond.
Present Day
CHARACTERS: 4 W / 1 Non Binary
Diane
Diane is the human guise of Dionysus, Greek god of agriculture, wine, and fertility. With plenty of swagger, Diane is tempting, seductive, charming and funny.
Carol Fleischer
A repressed, joyless, lonely, unhappy, selfish, yet picture perfect housewife from New Jersey.
Beth Wann
Beth is a housewife who has lost her purpose. She is divorced, lost, and vulnerable. Beth is quiet and passive, yet primal.
Renee Shapiro-Epps
Renee is a chic editor for HGTV Magazine. She is powerful, environmental, and a cultured editor.
Pam Annunziata
Full of life and unafraid to speak, Pam is bold and vivacious. She is also loyal, prepared, and sometimes suspicious.
OPEN AUDITIONS/OPEN CREW INTERVIEWS
- Tuesday, September 3 & Wednesday, September 4
- with Callbacks for some actors on Thursday, September 5
- 6:00pm Crew Interviews & 7:00pm Auditions on Sept. 3 & 4
- Studio Theatre, Level 1, Performing Arts Center, UIS Campus
- Limited number of scripts available beginning August 13th at the Brookens Library front desk for 24 hour checkout
- Nothing to Prepare/Cold Readings from the script/Headshots-Resumes Appreciated, but not required
Performances in the Studio Theatre
Friday, November 1; Saturday, November 2; Sunday, November 3 & Thursday, November 7; Friday, November 8; Saturday, November 9. (All performances at 7:30pm, except for the Sunday, Nov 3 Matinee at 2:00pm)
Spring 2025 - VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
by Christopher Durang
- Directed by Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson
- Scenic Design and Technical Direction by Dathan Powell
"Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a lovely young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha."--Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Winner of the 2013 Best Play Tony Award!
- "Both breathtakingly funny and quietly poignant, this Chekhov-inspired work-for which knowledge of the Russian master's plays is not a requirement-is pure joy from start to finish."--Erik Haagensen for Backstage
- "Christopher Durang's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a comic tour de force about a bunch of Chekhovian characters full of yearning...I haven't wanted to simultaneously laugh and cry this much since...Chekhov."--Michael Musto for The Village Voice
- "Don't be deceived by the dazzling zaniness of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. In Christopher Durang's hugely entertaining new play, which opened Thursday at Broadways' Golden Theatre, there's a perilously fine line between comedy and tragedy."--Elysa Gardner for USA Today
- "We get too few comedies on Broadway, much less ones with the breezy wit and satirical bite of 'Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike'. Like the play's lonely, bitter characters, I'm so happy that I can stop complaining."--David Cote for Time Out
- "I called this seriously silly play the funniest show in town, yet one with an emotional kick that lifted it to a more rarefied plane."--Jeremy Gerard for Bloomberg
TIME AND PLACE (From Dramatists Play Service Online)
Present Day in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in a farm house Vanya and his step-sister Sonia have lived in all their lives
CHARACTERS: 4W / 2M
(Mostly from Olathe Civic Theatre Association online)
Vanya
Late 40's to mid 50's male. A gay man who lives with his step-sister Sonia. He took care of their aging parents over a long time and didn't do much of what he'd like to have done with his life, but is resigned, more or less. He acts the peacemaker between his two sisters.
Sonia
Late 40's to mid-50's female. Vanya's step-sister living with him. Discontent, upset, regretful. Never had a romantic life. Volatile, and angry that her pretty sister, Masha, has had a life.
Masha
Late 40's to late-50's female. Vanya's other sister. Glamorous and successful actress who goes gallivanting around the world. A bit grandiose, but also charming. Has had five failed marriages and has recently taken up with a young actor, Spike. Has been paying everybody's bills.
Spike
Mid-late 20s male. An aspiring actor. Masha's new companion. Sexy, self-absorbed boy-toy. Friendly, charming, always seductive, attractive and catches Vanya's eye.
Nina
Early to late 20s female. Lovely, sincere would-be actress, visiting her aunt and uncle next door to Vanya and Sonia. Star-struck and energetic in her enthusiasm. Responds to Vanya and is kind to him.
Cassandra
20-55 year old female. Cleaning lady and soothsayer, she often bursts into prophecy, her diction perhaps sounding like Greek tragedy mixed with contemporary thoughts and references. Her seeing the future is somewhat truthful, though not always 100% accurate. She often criticizes her employers Vanya and Sonia, but at the core wants to help them.
OPEN AUDITIONS/OPEN CREW INTERVIEWS
- Tuesday, January 21 & Wednesday, January 22
- With Callbacks for some actors on Thursday, January 23
- 6:00pm Crew Interviews & 7:00pm Auditions on Jan. 21 & 22
- Studio Theatre, Level 1, Performing Arts Center, UIS Campus
- Limited number of scripts available for 24 hour checkout at the Brookens Library front desk beginning in later December/early January
- Nothing to Prepare/Cold Readings from the script/Headshots-Resumes Appreciated, but not required
Performances in the Studio Theatre
Friday, April 4; Saturday, April 5; Sunday, April 6 & Thursday, April 10; Friday, April 11; Saturday, April 12. (All performances at 7:30pm, except for the Sunday, April 6 Matinee at 2:00pm)