A Secret No Longer

UA Theatre shouts success with 2014-15 season

We want it to be shouted from the rooftops," says Michael Riha, at the end of his first year as University of Arkansas theater department chairman. "This is where great talent starts."

In the season just concluding, which ran the gamut from Shakespeare to Sarah Ruhl's contemporary play "The Clean House," the controversial musical "Spring Awakening" "saw the largest number of audience members," Riha says, "and generated new interest in the department. I'm proud of that show from the standpoint that we were able to do a musical and have the sound quality, the visuals and the performances on the same level of professionalism. And we were able to bring in a guest director from New York, which inspired the students to give it their best as well.

FYI

University Theatre

2014-15 Season

“Godspell” — Join a cast of colorful characters as they lead audiences through a series of parables and hit songs such as “Day by Day,” “By My Side” and “O Bless the Lord.” This high-energy performance is sure to please young and old alike. Directed by Brandyn Smith. Oct. 3-12.

“Kin” — When an Ivy League poetry student from Texas falls for an Irish personal trainer, it results in quite the clash of cultures. But as friends and family meet, an unlikely kinship begins to form. Traveling across two countries and multiple generations, “Kin” tells a beautiful story about the changing structure of the modern family. Directed by Amy Herzberg. Nov. 7-16.

“The Foreigner” — When Froggy LaSueur brings the painfully shy Charlie Baker to a lodge in rural Georgia, he convinces the lodge inhabitants that Charlie speaks no English. Hilarity ensues as the guests share secrets and scandals with Charlie, never realizing that he understands every word. Directed by Michael Landman. Feb. 20-March 1.

“The Cherry Orchard” — Set in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, this story follows the lives of an aristocratic family fallen on hard times. Their country estate is scheduled to be auctioned to pay the mortgage, but there is a way to save it — cut down the cherry orchard and sell the land. Directed by Kate Frank. April 17-26.

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"But you can't compare a rock musical to 'She Stoops to Conquer,' which I can safely say was beautiful visually, too. ... It's hard to pick the best show; they were all so unique in their script and their requirements."

Riha's goal for 2013-14 was to raise public awareness of the existence of -- and quality of -- University Theatre productions. His goal for the 2014-15 season, being officially announced this weekend, is basically the same, with one caveat: He wants to bring in more families. "As You Like It," currently on stage, is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare, he says, filled as it is with music, laughter and bright, intriguing costumes.

Riha says "'As You Like It' is just 90 minutes long or a little bit more, so it's a great chance for parents to bring their kids. We want to build a broader audience base -- and start them younger!"

A children's show is in the plans for 2015-16, but the upcoming season opens with the family-friendly "Godspell," followed by "Kin" by Bathesheba Doran, "The Foreigner" by Larry Shue and "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekov, all intended to support Riha's goals of "audience development, student opportunities and increased awareness in the Fayetteville community."

"We are making ourselves known to the rest of the university community first, by who we are and what we do," Riha says. "And we're not doing it in a way that is quiet. There are great theaters in this community, one in particular that people consider outstanding theater, but a lot of the people you see at TheatreSquared come from our department. We have a direct pipeline. So if people like those shows, they should really consider being a season ticket subscriber to the place that creates a lot of that quality.

"In 'Hamlet' (currently on stage at TheatreSquared), six of the nine actors have UA ties, I designed the scenery, our lighting designer designed the lights, costumes were designed by a recent grad of Pat Martin's, and the assistant stage manager is a graduate of our program," Riha says by way of example. "TheatreSquared is not the only theater in town that is professional level. We are a wonderful pipeline back and forth to create a sense of energy and optimism for live theater here in Northwest Arkansas.

"For a long time, we were relishing the fact Fayetteville was the best-kept secret in America, and that was pretty much our attitude (at University Theatre). But being the best-kept secret doesn't help us going forward."

NAN What's Up on 04/25/2014

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