Theater Groups Prep For a Busy Semester

Aporia Repertory Company

T.S. Eliot once said: “A play should give you something to think about. When I see a play and understand it the first time, then I know it can’t be much good.” This semester, Columbia’s own Aporia Repertory Company is taking Eliot’s advice. The group will be presenting three one-act plays that are connected through their similar commitment to challenging the audience’s perceptions. The season will open with The Real Inspector Hound, a murder mystery play-within-a-play, on Oct. 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the Wien lounge. Make your reservations now at aporiatheatre@gmail.com. Next up, No Exit, Jean-Paul Sartre’s most-celebrated existentialist drama, and Variations on the Death of Trotsky, an outlandish short, will be performed together at the Cherry Lane Theatre on Nov. 16 and 17 at 10 p.m. But don’t let the weight of the theme turn you off—each play is known for its sharp humor.
-Alexandra Owens

Into the Woods

While the phrase “once upon a time” is usually the beginning of a story that’s told in hopes of lulling a child to sleep, it will do no such thing in the Columbia Musical Theater Society’s production of Into the Woods. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, this award-winning musical brings together fairy-tale favorites—including Cinderella, Jack, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Witch. Even though the play takes place in the fantastical world of fairy tales, the 19-person cast of CMTS has worked hard to make the production relevant to people of all ages. By thoughtfully exploring the emotional and personal complexities of each character, the actors bring them to life in a way that is relatable while still being wildly humorous and entertaining. The show will take place in the Roone Arledge Auditorium on Nov. 29 and 30.
-Jacqui Stolze

King Lear

What do you get when you cross Shakespearean tragedy with less than five weeks of rehearsal time? King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe’s ambitious fall production of King Lear. Anyone who witnessed the revelry of Much Ado About Nothing last spring knows that when it comes to Shakespeare, KCST doesn’t fool around, and King Lear looks to be no exception. While the play is often considered one of Shakespeare’s most complex works, the cast is taking it back to the text in an attempt to make the rich messages of the work accessible to even the casual audience member. King Lear is slated for performance Oct. 25 to Oct. 27 in the Lerner Black Box Theater. Considering the free admission and the script abridgments that reduce the running time to a manageable two hours, there’s no reason to skip this production.
-Stephanie Baker

Pippin

Sex, Charlemagne, and rock and roll have never looked so good together. In this fall’s production of Pippin, the title character, the son of Charlemagne, sets out to find happiness, except for one small problem: he doesn’t know exactly what happiness means. Director Molly Braverman, CC ’09, admits that Pippin’s uncertainty was part of the reason she was drawn to the show. “In addition to being a fantastic musical, Pippin is all our age ... We’re all sort of there,” she said. Ricky Schweitzer, CC ’11, who plays Pippin, agrees: “From age 8 to now, I’ve been an actor, a composer, an artist, and a writer. But I also want to be a doctor and I love business. Pippin is just searching for confirmation—that what he is doing is right.” The musical features an ensemble cast, with Yonatan Gebeyehu, CC ’11, and Michelle Hutt, CC ’09, as the principal players. While the play is still in its early stages, the upbeat and quirky opening number promises an exciting show. Pippin is being produced by Michael Leibring, CC ’09, and Kate Stahl, BC ’09, and will run from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 in the Black Box Theater.
-Eva Gonzalez-Ruskiewicz

The Sublet Experiment

Living space in Manhattan is notoriously hard to come by, but most renters request monetary rather than sexual compensation. Not so in Ethan Youngerman’s The Sublet Experiment, which chronicles a young New Yorker’s unconventional search for a roommate and the development of an unexpected romance. CU Players brings this chaotic yet clever romantic comedy to Columbia this November, but not to the stage. The play will be performed in the common spaces of various dorms across campus—a conceptually interesting yet technically challenging feat. The production will have to adapt to a different “stage” every night, while contending not only with logistics of props and set but also with the question of where to place the audience. True to its genre, The Sublet Experiment retains its blockbuster charm, but at the same time it represents a truly modern and innovative approach to theater. “It runs the gamut from being a really intelligent observation on society and on socially constructed identities to being slapstick comedy,” producer Anna Couturier, CC ’10, said. “It’s got everything.”
-Catherine Kaelin