Academics

Performing Arts | Theatre

The Underpants

by Carl Sternheim adapted by Steve Martin
October 7,8,14 & 15
Brown Auditorium

America's funnyman, Steve Martin, hits the mark with this recent adaptation of the 1910 German farce Die Hose by Carl Sternheim. The play opens on Theo Maske, an officious, puritanical bureaucrat, as he berates his wife, Louise, for allowing her underpants to fall to the ground at a parade for the King. The scandal erupts into spectacle, the characters reflect—and reflect upon—our fascination with fame, our reliance on gender roles and our enslavement by sexuality. Off-the-wall humor, wordplay, and witty banter collide in what the New York Post called "a brilliant, hilarious, mad adaptation of an old play."

100 Saints You Should Know

by Kate Fodor
November 3,4 & 5
Mingenback Theatre

Theresa is estranged from her family and working as a cleaning woman when she finds herself surprised by the unexpected desire to learn how to pray. She seeks out Matthew, the priest whose rectory she cleans, who in turn is stunned and heartbroken by the realization that he no longer knows how to talk to God. When he disappears one day, Theresa feels compelled to track him down, and her search changes both of their lives.

Nunsense

by Dan Goggin
December 1,2 & 3
Brown Auditorium with limited seating

The sisters of Hoboken are in a pickle! Their Sister Julia (Child of God) has made a deadly meal killing off the majority of the order. The remaining nuns are trying their best to raise money to give everyone a proper burial. The talent show fund-raiser that the nuns perform has delighted audiences for almost 30 years Off-Broadway and around the world. Join us as we revisit an audience favorite!

James & the Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl adapted by David Wood
January 20 & 21
Brown Auditorium

The classic 1961 story about an orphan who befriends the insects living inside a fruit is far from ordinary. But overall the strong themes relate to our current world, and it teaches us that there may be cruelty and unfairness in the world, but there is also kindness, compassion, and true friendship. Our Children's Theatre offering will delight kids young and old.

The Music Man

by Meredith Wilson
*A Joint Production with McPherson High School*
February 23, 24 & 25
Brown Auditorium

Following on the heels of our 50th Anniversary of The Sound of Music in 2009, we present another beloved 50-year-old classic of the American Musical Theatre. Everything in River City, Iowa, is plain and simple, black and white until professional con-man, Harold Hill, shows up to bring color and life into the simple town. Join us as the college and high school come together to bring favorites like "Shapoopi" and "76 Trombones!"

The Shadow Box

by Michael Cristof
April 12, 13 & 14
Mingenback Theatre

Winner of the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best New Play, Shadow Box introduces us to three families moving into hospice care. The play inevitably discusses death, but focuses more on the community, the life, and the hope we each have to have to live day by day.

For more info contact 620-242-0444 or theatre@mcpherson.edu