Raise the Curtain
Blinn College Theatre Arts announces its 2010-2011 season
The Blinn College Theatre Arts program will present “a year of monsters, magic, mayhem and mothers” in the 2010-2011 season. Program Director Bradley A. Nies and Technical Program Director Kevin Patrick selected a monstrous musical, a magical children’s classic, a comedic ghost story and a hilarious tale from the kitchen for this year’s productions.
The Blinn players, in cooperation with Delta Psi Omega and the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, will present:
Little Shop of Horrors
The season opens with a popular and widely-know musical. In Little Shop of Horrors, an orphaned and nerdy outcast named Seymour Krelborn comes up with a plan to save a fledging flower shop where he works alongside the lovely Audrey Fulquard. However, when one of his strange and interesting plants begins making demands of him, Seymour finds himself giving into its blood-thirsty desires. Will this man-eating monster take over the world, or will Seymour and Audrey defeat it? The show is based on the book and lyrics of Howard Ashman, with music by Alan Menken.
Performances will be Oct. 14, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m. and on Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. in the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center Auditorium in Brehnam, Texas. Special High School Preview Performances will be held on Oct. 14 and 15 at 1 p.m. This show will be Blinn’s entry into the 2010 Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival.
Aladdin, or The Wonderful Scamp
This classic by Henry Byron features Aladdin, a street rat, and the only person who can enter the Cave of Wonders and retrieve a magical lamp for the Sultan’s Head Advisor. When he becomes trapped in the cave, Aladdin accidentally stumbles across the resident of a magic lamp—a genie willing to grant him three wishes. This family classic promises to be a magical experience for all.
Performances will be Nov. 10, 11, 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. and on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. in the Dr. W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center Auditorium. Special Elementary School Preview Performances will be held on Nov. 10, 11 and 12 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Blithe Spirit
The season continues in the spring with the comedic ghost story Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward. In the show, novelist Charles Condomine and his wife, Ruth, invite another couple to join them for drinks and dinner with local clairvoyant, Madame Arcati. Much to the surprise of the two couples, there are supernatural manifestations that take place during a séance; including the arrival of Charles’ late wife, Elvira! Mayhem ensues when Elvira decides she is tired of being alone, and Charles should join her in the afterlife.
Performances will be Feb. 24, 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. and on Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. in the MRW Studio Theater. Special Junior High/High School Preview Performances will be held on Feb. 24 and 25 at 1 p.m. This show will be Blinn’s entry in the 2011 Texas Community College Speech and Theatre Association Play Festival.
The Kitchen Witches
The theatre arts program will close the season with the comedic play The Kitchen Witches. Written by Caroline Smith, the show centers around Isobel and Dolly, two motherly cooking show hostesses, who have disliked each other for more than 30 years. When Dolly’s television-producing son puts them together on a TV show called “The Kitchen Witches,” the insults are flung harder than the food. Their show becomes a rating smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer!
Performances will be April 8 and 9 at7 p.m. in the MRW Studio Theater. Special 2011 High School Recruitment Touring Performances will be April 5, 6 and 7. This show will be presented as part of the Blinn College Theatre Arts Student Showcase.
