Shakespearian Comedy, Dance, Classics And Broadway Musicals Lead CSUF Theatre & Dance's 2019-2020 Season

Broadway musicals "Beauty and the Beast" and "Jane Eyre The Musical" join Caryl Churchill's "Vinegar Tom," William Inge's "Picnic," Jen Silverman's "The Moors," Shakespeare's "As You Like It" and the Fall and Spring Dance Theatres on Cal State Fullerton's theatre and dance stages in 2019-2020. "Our department is proud to be a part of America's 'fifty percent women playwrights initiative for 2020' and we have worked to carefully balance our season between men and women playwrights," explains CSUF Theatre & Dance Chair David Mickey. "Theatre and dance are all about taking risks, accepting challenges, and creating opportunities and this highly engaging season will find us stretching for the stars both on-stage and off-stage," he added.

Cal State Fullerton's 2019-20 Theatre & Dance season opens with "Beauty and the Beast," featuring a book by CSUF alum Linda Woolverton, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. The production will be helmed by guest director Martie Ramm and runs October 11-27, 2019 in the Little Theatre on campus. Disney's family-friendly "tale as old as time" captures the classic beauty of old-fashioned childhood fables as Belle falls under the spell of the Beast, who must break his own spell-the curse that only love can reverse.

Following the season opener is "The Moors" by Jen Silverman, directed by Tommy Statler. Agatha and Hudley live in the Moors with their brother, Branwell, perfectly content with their isolation until dark secrets disturb the peace. The production runs November 1-17, 2019 in the campus Hallberg Theatre.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Critics Circle award, "Picnic," written by William Inge and directed by Eve Himmelheber, follows the poignant, tender and tempestuous stirrings that are aroused when a young man turns up on Labor Day weekend and encounters two sisters who are open to the excitement that a new face, welcome attention, and potential courtship may bring to their otherwise dreary small-town Kansas existence. The production runs from November 15-December 8, 2019 in the Young Theatre on the CSUF campus.

"Fall Dance Theatre" will close out the fall semester at CSUF, as storytelling choreographers capture life's most profound moments and the dreams, desires, love, loneliness, and loss that are inescapable, yet indescribable in the world of dance. "Fall Dance Theatre" runs from December 5-15, 2019 in the Little Theatre on campus.

The Spring 2020 semester begins with "Jane Eyre The Musical," the award-winning Broadway production based on the classic novel by Charlotte Brontë, with a book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Paul Gordon. Nominated for five Tony awards, this new musical explores religion, sexuality, and morality as Jane's story begins in northern England, where she is under the eye of a cruel aunt and is eventually sent away to a "school for girls." She is hired as a governess and meets Mr. Edward Rochester, signaling a new beginning for her heart and soul. Directed by James R. Taulli, the production runs from march 13-29, 2020 in CSUF's Little Theatre.

Following the musical, March 27-April 19, is Caryl Churchill's "Vinegar Tom," directed by Saundra McClain. "Vinegar Tom" tells the story of two farm women who are named as witches by a man whom they have spurned sexually. Playwright Caryl Churchill is the master of finding the connection between the fear of female sexuality and the horrors of witch hysteria that has terrified society throughout the ages.

In one of Shakespeare's brightest comedies, "As You Like It," Rosalind and Celia flee to the forest of Arden, using disguises to hide from the duke and his men. All the while, love triangles and misunderstandings sprout from the forest floors as Rosalind's former lover and a heap of others fall for the women hidden in plain sight. Directed by Tommy Statler, the production runs from April 17- May 3, 2020 in the Young Theatre on campus.

Concluding the 2019-2020 Season is "Spring Dance Theatre," running from April 30-May 10, 2020 in the Little Theatre on campus. Vibrant, heart-warming performances are designed to challenge, engage, enchant and amuse. Join CSUF's award-winning dancers and choreographers on an ever-changing adventure in dance.

Subscriptions for the Theatre and Dance season at California State University, Fullerton are available now. Flextix subscriptions offer 5- and 10-credit options, redeemable all at once or one-at-a-time. Patrons can create their own unique season with Flextix credits. Subscriptions covering the Fall season are $56 each; the entire season is $106. Single tickets range from $12 to $24. Tickets are available at the Joseph Clayes III Performing Arts Center Box Office by calling (657) 278-3371, 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday or online.

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