Spring Theater Preview 2015
(UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television)
By Erica Washington
April 3, 2015 12:07 a.m.
Spring’s ample theater schedule offers an avenue for students to entertain themselves after being freed from the clutches of winter quarter. From the theater department to Hooligan Theatre Company to the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, this quarter promises a busy theater season both on and off campus.
“Thoroughly Modern Millie”
Friday, 8 p.m.
Freud Playhouse
FREE
Hooligan Theatre Company presents “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” the 1920s story of Kansas native Millie Dillmount, who moves to New York City looking for a fresh start at the age of 22. The Big Apple provides the setting for Millie’s many lessons in self-discovery as her plan to marry into wealth faces complications when her rich, new boss fails to propose. Adding to the drama, her hotel manager is a human trafficker and the man she has truly fallen in love with claims to be broke. This award-winning musical focuses on the rocky transition into adulthood within a big-city setting.
“The Power of Duff”
Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Geffen Playhouse
$10 Student Rush Tickets
Living in an increasingly disconnected world, news broadcaster Charlie Duff has lost his zest for life. As he grows estranged from his wife and son, he begins to seek human connection by offering daily prayers to his viewers. Though this leads to increased notoriety for Duff, it also spurs a personal transformation that reconnects him with his family. “The Power of Duff” is a raw look at the significance of hope and humanity in getting through dark times. Written by Stephen Belber and directed by Peter DuBois, the play makes its West Coast debut on Tuesday.
“Bat Boy: The Musical”
May 7, 8 p.m.
Macgowan Hall Little Theater
$26
A production put on by members of The Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program, “Bat Boy: The Musical” explores topical issues through the eyes of a half-bat, half-boy that has difficulty fitting in with his human community. Laurence O’Keefe’s score, as well as writers Keythe Frarley and Brian Flemming’s use of satire, examines heavy social issues within an atypical context. Directed by Jeremy Mann and based on a story originally published in the World Weekly News, this popular musical gives insight into the dark side of human nature.
The Francis Ford Coppola One Act Marathon
May 7, 8 p.m.
1340 Macgowan Hall
FREE
Named after UCLA alumnus and award-winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, this collection of one-act plays combines the directorial work of graduate film directors in the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media with the written work of playwrights in the Department of Theater, with undergraduate and graduate actors performing. Created in 1998, the Francis Ford Coppola One Act Marathon is a UCLA staple and offers new material each year.
“The Two Cities Project”
May 29, 10:30 a.m.
Theater Lab in Melnitz Hall, Room 1473
FREE
Students from both UCLA and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art will collaborate on this original piece that unites two of the largest cities in the world. Two playwrights, one stationed in London and the other in Los Angeles, will travel between the cities writing for both sets of actors. Performances both here and overseas will take place simultaneously and interact with one another through broadband Internet connection in order to achieve a collaborative effect in this experimental play.
– Erica Washington, A&E contributor
