38th Season of Court Theatre Features Musicals and Comedies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2004
CONTACT: Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
38th Season of Court Theatre Features Musicals and Comedies
William Johnson, chair of Theatre Arts and producer of the California State University, Chico’s Summer Court Theatre, and Gail Holbrook, artistic director, are preparing for the 2004 season that will run in Wismer Theatre from June 29 to July 24.
This summer’s cast includes Kate E. Babb, Michael Biggs, Katie Brown, Karla Gilbert, Anne Lester, Kevin Marr, Ashley Monroe, Alexis Morann, Marcus Sams, Ellen Wilcox and Bryan Zoppi.
The season will open on June 29 with a nostalgic trip back to the 50s in “The Taffetas,” a charming musical directed by Susan Hargrave Pate. Four sisters from Muncie, Ind. audition for the show “Spotlight on Music.” Crinolines sway as they sing the hits “Mr. Sandman,” “Where the Boys Are,” “How Much is that Doggie in the Window,” “Love Letters in the Sand” and “Sh-Boom.”
Lani Harris, formerly an instructor at CSU, Chico and now at the University of Central Florida, returns to direct Sam Shephard’s 1980 play, “True West.” The play focuses on the relationship between two brothers who seem to have little in common: Austin is a screenwriter on the verge of a breakthrough Hollywood deal, and Lee is a drifter and cat burglar. The play is both hilarious and harrowing, said Harris. It is for mature audiences.
Gail Holbrook will direct “All About Ives,” a series of one-acts. “These are short, satirical, and wacky-comedic but also philosophical and romantic in crazy ways,” said Holbrook. “The actors will be playing multiple roles-from monkeys to washing machines! It will be very different from the usual Court Theatre play, and I think audiences will love it!”
The season concludes with a reprise of “Working,” a look at everyday Americans, by Studs Terkel, last seen in Court Theatre’s 1984 season. William McCrary, University of Texas at San Antonio, will direct this musical, Michele Pietri will choreograph and Joel P. Rogers will be in charge of musical sequencing. The music is contemporary and combines several different styles, including a haunting ballad about migrant farm
workers and a hard-driving rock song about a truck driver, both written by James Taylor. The dialogue comes from the Terkel interviews with working people from the book with the same title.
For ticketing information, call the University Box Office at 530-898-6333.
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