This fall, the SVSU Theatre department will perform four productions: “The Servant of Two Masters,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: A Christmas Variety Show,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” and “9 to 5: The Musical.”
“The Servant of Two Masters” is a physical comedy about a peasant trying to appease two different rulers at once. The first showing will be on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Prop master senior Devin Burke will be working the show.
“This will be my third play involving prop management,” Burke said. “For this production, I have to find a bunch of circus props to toss around. It’s a lot of fun.”
“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: A Christmas Variety Show” is a collection of different skits pertaining to the holiday season. The performances will be shown on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
The final main-stage productions include “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,”which is about a boy who solves the murder of his neighbor’s dog.
The other production will be “9 to 5: The Musical,”which follows three female workers who take revenge on their conniving boss.
Margaret Mead-Finizio, an assistant theatre professor and co-director of the variety show, is excited about the diverse theatre lineup.
“We like to offer different types of experiences,” Mead-Finizio said. “The first show of the season has a lot of humor and socially relevant things to challenge the audience and expose them to a new form of theatre, while the variety show is for pure entertainment.”
A lot of preparation is needed for the plays.
“Rehearsals are normally five days a week, running about three to four hours long,” Mead-Finizio said. “Technical rehearsals take place six to seven times a week.”
Theatre freshman Holly Greif plans on auditioning for every play.
“I want to see how many opportunities I can be given,” Grief said. “I also want to get the audition process down.”
Burke believes that students from any major should audition.
“Theatre is a way to escape and a way to enjoy a different world,” Burke said. “You don’t know you love theatre until you try it.”
More information about the upcoming plays can be found on the SVSU theatre department website.
