Contact: Sammy McDavid
The works of Eudora Welty, a groundbreaking 17th century French writer and several Mississippi State students are among the sources of six theatrical productions planned by the university's communication department during the new school year.
The 2002-03 season playbill includes:
--"June Recital," Sept. 26-28. An adaptation of extracts from, among others, Welty's "Losing Battles" and "Why I Live at the P.O.," Brenda Currin's one-woman show also features the direction of David Kaplan and music of Phillip Fortenberry.
--"The Imaginary Invalid," Oct. 17-19. Moliere's classic farce follows a hypochondriac's attempt to avoid high medical bills by matching his daughter with a doctor. The pen name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-73), Moliere is considered the father of modern French comedy.
--The annual children's play, Nov. 21 and 22. The title will be announced later.
--"A Raisin in the Sun," Feb. 20-22. Winner of the 1959 Drama Critic's Circle Award for Best Play, playwright Lorraine Hansberry's portrayal of the generational struggle within an African-American family has been called "a milestone in the American theater."
--"It's Only a Play," April 10-12. The send-up by dramatist Terrence McNally takes dead aim at show business and its often bizarre practitioners.
--Student Showcase 2003, April 24-26. The concluding presentation is a festival of student-directed one-act plays, many also student written.
Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for the September, October, February, and early April productions. The children's play in November and the student showcase in late April begin at 7.
Performances take place in either the 477-seat McComas Hall theater or the department's laboratory theater, which comfortably accommodates 80.
For information about individual/season ticket prices or additional details on the performances, contact the department at (662) 325-9810 or theatremsu@comm.msstate.edu.