Theatre’s 2023-24 season to shine new light on beloved stories, characters
Classics – with a twist – will be the theme of the Hanover College Theatre Department’s 2023-24 season. Three productions are slated for the upcoming academic year, including one original work and a musical adaptation of an iconic American novel.
Titled “Old Stories in New Light,” the 2023-24 season “explores well-known stories and characters in new ways,” stated Gabriel Vanover, assistant professor of theatre and department chair. “In the fall, we will explore the Ozian myth of the Tin Man and reveal how he lost his heart, while ‘Everybody’ brings the 15th-century morality play ‘Everyman’ into the 21st century. In the spring, we will bring the beloved story of Jo March and her sisters to stage in a beautiful Broadway-style musical.”
“Old Stories in New Light” will begin with “The Woods” Oct. 13-15. This original production is based on characters by famed American author L. Frank Baum, who penned “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and its related series, among hundreds of other works.
Long before Dorothy landed in Oz, “The Woods” shares the love story of a beautiful girl and young woodsman – and the wicked witch who will stop at nothing to keep them apart. Directed by Vanover, “The Woods” explores how much of ourselves people are willing to give up for love.
“Everybody,” based on one of the first plays recorded plays in the English language, will be staged Nov. 17-19. This modernization of “Everyman” was penned by award-winning American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
Hanover’s presentation of “Everybody” will be directed by Jennifer Schmidt, assistant professor of theatre. “Everybody,” a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, features the conceptual characters Friendship, Kinship, Stuff, Mind, Five Senses and Understanding and their exploration of life’s greatest mystery – the meaning of living.
A six-performance run of “Little Women: The Musical” will be staged March 15-17 and March 22-24. The musical, which originally appeared on Broadway in 2005, was nominated for three Drama Desk Awards and received a Tony Award nomination for its leading lady, the Broadway and television star Sutton Foster.
“Little Women: The Musical” is based on the beloved 19th-century work by American novelist Louisa May Alcott. Hanover’s presentation, directed and staged by Vanover, will portray the adventures and challenges faced by the four March sisters as they navigate life in Civil War America.
“After two sold out seasons, we are excited to see what these productions hold for the department as we continue grow and build upon Hanover’s rich tradition of theatre,” added Vanover.
Tickets will be available soon. All performances will be staged in The Other Place, adjacent to Donner Residence Hall. Friday and Saturday evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees will start at 2 p.m.
