Drama department announces new season

Classic and modern productions from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" to Pulitzer Prize-winning "Wit" will be showcased next year at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. Chairman of the IU Department of Theatre and Drama Jonathan Michaelsen announced the 2005-2006 season Friday at the Theatre Circle dinner.\n"(It) starts getting the word out and people talking," said Director of Audience Development John E. Kinzer. \nMichaelsen said the department walks the line of a commercial theater driven by box-office sales and an educational theater wanting to be creative. Training students in the profession while pleasing the audience can be a daunting task, but he said the department embarks on that mission each year.\nA 12-member play selection committee chose the season based on faculty, staff and student proposals made last fall. Graduate student Eileen Curley and senior Hannah Smith, both of the theatre and drama department, sat on the committee. \n"Students are important to what we do," Michaelsen said. "We are committed to empowering the students."\nIn addition to student input, faculty directors are asked to submit a minimum number of production requests, and most of them include multiple favorites, Kinzer said. Nearly 100 requests came in before the suggestion period closed Oct. 15. People submitting proposals filled out a sheet and made a case backing their selection, said Dale McFadden, who has been the play selection committee chairman for the past 10 years. \nThe committee meets at least six times to discuss the different works, Kinzer said. Once the selection occurs in January, the members decide the best sequence of the plays, considering factors such as time of year and director selection. Also, the number of roles and the sex of those roles are important. Kinzer said the department strives to choose a season with an equal number of male and female roles, as well as plenty of roles to allow students to get practice. The committee then files formal requests for the rights to a specific piece. Once these are secured, the contracts are signed. \nDirectors already have been assigned to each of the upcoming season's productions. Current faculty will direct five of the plays, and new faculty member Fontaine Syer will make her IU directing debut with the production "She Stoops to Conquer." \n"Ms. Syer brings a national perspective as an actor and director to enhance our faculty, including her service as artistic director of Delaware Theatre Company from 1998-2004," Kinzer said.\nGraduate students studying directing also are offered the opportunity to direct on the main stage. Danielle Howard, who will enter her second year of the MFA directing program, will direct "Wit." Unlike a majority of universities, IU lets second- and third-year students direct productions on the main stage, Michaelsen said.\n"(The productions) give students an opportunity to work on great theater," Michaelsen said. \nThe tradition of including two musicals in the season also will continue. Audiences will be able to see "A Chorus Line" before it returns to the Broadway stage in the fall of 2006 and "Falsettos," which will be directed by a guest director who has not been announced. \n"Unlike professional theaters, we are looking for a diversity of style, which is necessary for our academic audience," Kinzer said.\nA change accompanying next year's season will be 7:30 p.m. rather than 8 p.m. show times. The earlier time slot gives patrons better parking options and allows students to finish sooner, Michaelsen said in his presentation.\nTickets are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office, either in person or by phone, and order processing will begin in June. Three subscriptions to the IU Auditorium also are available: full season, individual theater and flex pass. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Lyndsay \nGilman at lkgilman@indiana.edu.