SCC's Center Stage Theatre Announces Productions for 2011-12

Published: 07/22/2011

Unless otherwise noted, all shows will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sundays in the theater of the Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building (FAB) on the SCC campus, located at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville.

Tickets for the general public are $8; $6 for senior citizens and students; and free for SCC students with a valid I.D. High school matinees are $5 per student, and one free chaperone ticket is provided for every 15 students in attendance. High school matinee shows are at 10 a.m. on Thursdays.

Center Stage Theatre will continue its special offer from last year, “Budget Wednesdays.” For Wednesday night productions, all tickets will be $5. SCC student tickets will remain free with valid I.D.

The first play of the season is William Inge’s “Bus Stop,” directed by SCC adjunct theater professor Deborah Phillips. The naïve, but headstrong rodeo cowboy, Bo, falls in love with Cherie, a “fifth rate” night club singer. Determined that Cherie is the girl of his dreams, Bo kidnaps her with the intention of taking her back to his ranch in Montana, getting married and living happily ever after. When the bus stops at Grace’s Diner, the passengers learn the road is blocked and they have to wait out the bad weather together. This 1955 romantic comedy was nominated for four Tony Awards and was adapted for film in 1956, starring Marilyn Monroe. Recommended for audiences in sixth grade and above. Auditions will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, and Tuesday, Aug. 23, with callbacks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24. Performances will be Oct. 5-9 with a matinee performance for high school students at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.

Tony Award winning play “The 39 Steps” combines a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and adds a dash of Monty Python. Patrick Barlow adapted this fast-paced whodunit from John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film for anyone who loves the magic of theater. Directed by Lynne Snyder, SCC adjunct theater professor, this play is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a cast of four actors), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good, old-fashioned romance. It’s a riotous blend of virtuoso performances and inventive stagecraft. Recommended for audiences in sixth grade and above. Auditions will be 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, and Tuesday, Oct. 11, with callbacks at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11. Performances will be Nov. 16-20 with a matinee performance for high school students at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17.

Written by Mary Chase, “Harvey” is an American classic about mild mannered Elwood P. Dowd and his mysterious friend, a six-foot tall rabbit named Harvey. Unfortunately, no one else can see Harvey. Directed by Pamela Cilek, SCC professor of theater, this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama has delighted audiences for decades as it poses the question and possibility of “believing” in what seems to be the impossible. Recommended for audiences in ninth grade and above. Auditions will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, with callbacks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Performances will be Feb. 29-March 4 with a matinee performance for high school students at 10 a.m. Thursday, Mar. 1.

The springtime show, “Becky’s New Car,” is a comedy by Steven Dietz and follows the story of Beck Foster, who is caught up in middle age, middle management and in a middling marriage. “And when a woman says she wants a new car, she wants a new life.” Directed by Lonna Wilke, SCC associate professor of theater, this play also has substantial weight as Becky in mid-life crisis faces a series of choices and decisions that in reality could happen to any of us. Recommended for audiences in ninth grade and above. Auditions will be 7 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, March 6-7, with callbacks at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. Performances will be April 18-22 with a matinee performance for high school students at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 19.

The final show of the season will be “A Little Night Music,” written by Hugh Wheeler with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The musical will be directed by SCC adjunct theater professor Lynne Snyder, with musical direction by Gene Ditch, SCC professor of music. Based on Ingmar Bergman’s film, “Smiles of a Summer Night,” this lovely and sophisticated musical is set in a weekend country house in early 20th century Sweden. The show is about love in all its endless possibilities, including complicated and surprising “liaisons,” long-simmering passions and unfulfilled regrets. Hailed as witty and wildly romantic, the story centers on the elegant actress Desiree Armfeldt and the spider’s web of sensuality, intrigue and desire that surrounds her. Included in the lush score is Sondheim’s famous song, “Send in the Clowns.” Recommended for audiences in ninth grade and above. Vocal/acting auditions will be 7 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, May 15-16; dance auditions and callbacks will be 7 p.m. Thursday, May 17. Performances will be July 24-29.

Center Stage Theatre shows are selected for mature audiences. Children under 10 years of age will not be admitted unless the play is specifically labeled “suitable for children.” Theater patrons should contact the SCC Young People’s Theatre for performances geared toward younger audiences.

For more information about Center Stage Theatre, contact Vicky Teson at 636-922-8255. For tickets, call 636-922-8050 or visit www.stchastickets.com. 

Established in 1986, St. Charles Community College is celebrating 25 years as a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.